A Spanish longliner apprehended last week with a cargo of shark is being held by the authorities in the African island state of São Tomé and Príncipe while the contents of its fishroom is investigated.
Alemar Primero was boarded by enforcement officers from Gabon and crew from Sea Shepherd vessel Bob Barker. The longliner is licenced to fish for what is described as ‘tuna and similar species’ but investigation revealed that the refrigerated fishroom was filled with mainly blue shark carcasses, many of which had been finned.
This is in contravention of several EU rulings that outlaw fining of sharks and which require carcasses to be landed whole.
Authorities in São Tomé ordered the long-liner to retrieve its fishing gear, release any catch and proceed to São Tomé for investigation. With four marines remaining on board for security, the long-liner was escorted to São Tomé.
Alemar Primero in now docked in the fishing port of Neves, pending investigation, while the Sea Shepherd vessel is back at sea as part of Operation Albacore, the venture under which Sea Shepherd has been assisting the Government of Gabon to tackle IUU fishing by providing Bob Barker as a patrol vessel operating in Gabonese waters, under the direction of the Gabonese Government.
In August São Tomé and Príncipe partnered with Operation Albacore, sending two marines and one fisheries observer from São Tomé to join the Sea Shepherd crew, Gabonese marines and Gabonese fisheries enforcement officers at sea in the Gulf of Guinea.
