Three foreign fishing vessels arrested yesterday in South African waters have been inspected today at the port of East London amid concern at a sudden influx of foreign fishing vessels in South African waters.
The Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) vessel Sarah Baartman and SA Navy vessel Drakensburg intercepted the two Chinese and one Indonesian squid jiggers in a combined operation and the subsequent inspection has involved police, customs, immigration and maritime safety authorities.
‘The capturing of these vessels indicates our seriousness as a country to protect our territorial and exclusive economic zone. We cannot tolerate the plundering of our marine resources, which are a source of food security and play a huge role in realising our goals in Operation Phakisa. We are also looking into the sudden influx of these vessels in our waters,’ said fisheries minister Senzeni Zokwana.
According to a DAFF statement, two vessels were intercepted and with a boarding out of the question due to rough weather, they were instructed to proceed to East London but refused to co-operate, attempting to outrun the DAFF patrol vessel Sarah Baartman. The two were tracked by Sarah Baartman and Drakensburg, and were boarded as soon as weather conditions eased.
Fish and gear were found on board both vessels, which were then escorted to East London. En route, the patrol vessel crew spotted yet another foreign vessel without a permit, which was promptly boarded and added to the flotilla of intercepted vessels now docked in East London.
Fu Yuan Yu 7880 was found to have 340 tonnes of squid on board. Fu Yuan Yu 7881 was found to have a catch of 60 tonnes and the Run Da 617 had approximately 200 tonnes of squid in its holds. All of the vessels’ fishrooms have been sealed pending the removal of catches for further investigation and possible charges for possession of fishing gear without a permit, failing to comply with instructions and possible infringements of International Conservation and Management Measures inside or outside South African waters.
‘The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) will be conducting a survey of the vessels today. The inspection will consider crew safety, pollution threat, vessel safety standards and all related matters in terms of International conventions as well as South African Maritime Law,’ said Thobile Gqabu, principal officer and the Centre for Fishing in East London.
