Greenpeace today presented evidence to the Fisheries Committee of the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) that a Spanish company involved in illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) received more than EUR 3.5 million in government subsidies and continues to receive assistance to secure contracts and licenses to fish in other countries.
Vidal Armadores runs a fleet of five vessels in the Southern Ocean near Antactica, a least three of which have been blacklisted by the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCMLAR), which manages fishing activities in the Southern Ocean. Vessels are blacklisted for engaging in IUU fishing or failing to respect conservation measures.
In April 2008, New Zealand inspectors documented that the Namibian-flagged Palma V was involved in illegal transshipments, resulting in blacklisting by CCAMLR, according to Greenpeace. The inspection revealed that the vessel was operating with other ships in the Vidal fleet, including the blacklisted North Korea-flagged Chilbo San 33 and Black Moon, as well as the Spanish-flagged Belma and Galaecia.
Despite this, Spain signed an agreement with Namibia in 2008, giving the Belma access to Namibia fishing grounds and has provided Vidal with other assistance, according to Greenpeace.
Greenpeace is calling on countries participating in the Committee on Fisheries in Rome to work toward closing loopholes that operators use to avoid regulation.
"We need bodies like the [FAO] to support strong regulations involving the ports that these ships enter, create a global record of fishing vessels and to urgently reduce commercial fishing to a sustainable level," said Greenpeace. "It is a simply a matter of political will to deliver the kind of enforcement that is needed to protect the marine environment and the communities which depend upon it."
Greenpeace is calling for the Spanish government to take away subsidies from Vidal and prosecute any Spanish nationals who were captains or masters of the ships. The organization wants Vidal's licenses revoked.
March 4, 2009
