Call For Clampdown On Illegal Fishers

[mrmoshe]

Call for clampdown on illegal fishers

THE world's governments need to work more closely to clamp down on illegal fishing, delegates at an international marine resources conference say.

Government scientists and decision-makers from more than 30 countries are meeting for two weeks in Hobart at the conference organised by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR).

Dr Ghislaine Llewellyn of WWF Australia said there needed to be more collaboration between government departments to produce better monitoring of vessels plundering ocean stocks.

"Last month in Australia we saw the successful prosecution of the master and fishing master of the pirate vessel the Taruman," Dr Llewellyn said.

"We'd like to see agreement on greater international collaboration to identify and prosecute the owners of boats who flaunt the rules and regulations put in place to safeguard fish populations and marine ecosystems in Antarctic and sub-Antarctic waters."

The Cambodian-licensed FV Taruman was found to have been fishing illegally for patagonian toothfish in the Australian fishing zone near Macquarie Island in the Southern Ocean in June last year.

The 76m vessel remains impounded in Hobart after it was seized by Australian fishery officers.

WWF Australia said illegal fishing operations were hurting already-threatened fish stocks and killing albatross and other seabirds getting caught in their lines.

David Carter, of Austral fisheries, said illegal operations were hurting legitimate fishing operators trying to do the right thing in the Southern Ocean.

Mr Carter said more stringent mechanisms were needed to create a real deterrent to illegal operators.

"We want to see governments agree to share data on vessel owners, agree to manage their vessels in accordance to agreed international arrangements, and create mechanisms to identify and prosecute the owners of vessels," Mr Carter said.