Venezuela fishing vessels caught in French Guiana waters will be destroyed
Two Venezuelan fishing vessels were caught illegally operating n French Guiana waters by a French Navy patrol and will be destroyed as is normal procedure in the territory, according to Cayenne media.
The vessels were intercepted “30 nautical miles off Kuru” and the catch was returned to the sea, according to a release from the Guiana Coast Guard.
The same release indicates that the two captains are under arrest and will face charges in court on Friday. The two vessels have been retained at the French base of Larivot, where they “will be dismantled and later destroyed”.
“It is the fifteenth interception of vessels illegally fishing in Guiana territorial waters since the beginning of the year, and was the sixth of July”, said the Coast Guard.
On 28 July a Brazilian vessel was caught eight kilometres from the Guiana-Brazil border and escorted to the port of Larivot.
The Brazilian captain was sent to court and sentenced to 12 months in jail by a magistrate from Cayenne.
On July 23 a coastal fishing vessel flying the French flag was boarded by armed pirates and left adrift after having robbed the outboard motor and other equipment.
Fishing vessels from neighbouring Surinam, Brazil and Venezuela regularly smuggle into the rich French Guiana fisheries despite the harsh penalties imposed by the French authorities.
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Am waiting for all the Arg supporters to come on here though and shout French European Colonialism surely?
Since then no more major incidents.
British words
Ha, ha, ha, ha.
6 ChrisR. Have you seen Venezuela's “Zona en Reclamación” (Reclamation Zone) in Guyana, they wana steal half the bloody country. What is it with south amercian territorial disputes?.
I've always respected france's don't mess with owe territory thing, its nice to see a country that stands up for its self.
I agree. The French have a nice clean no-nonsense line. The territory is either French or it is not, end of story. Like Islam, there is only one god and Ala is his name. No holy trinity nonsense.
The British have this complex hierarchy of sovereign status for territories and protectorates. Just think how different history would have been if, when the American colonists said “no tax without representation”, the British had responded by providing representation for the New Englanders in the parliament...I digress.
Well done Froggies! UK/ Gibraltar take note: “grow a pair” © Conqueror
We, the Brits, should learn from the French.
I NEVER thought I would say that!
I'm still finding it had to understand all these centuries old territorial disputes in south america. I think it must have something to do with standing on the sidelines in two world wars, millions of deaths seem to put a downer on demanding territory. shed any light on it Condorito?
Digressing is good, we are all here to debate :).
In the beginning there was peace and harmony.
Then humans arrived and settled the continent from the jungles to the deserts to the frozen tip of Patagonia.
They were hunter gatherers. About 5000 years ago the Peruvian peoples started farming and moving up the technology tree, spawning many great civilizations who subjugated their neighbours.
Then Pizarro arrived with steel, gun powder, books and germs. The Spanish took the whole continent for themselves, except for the bit the Pope kindly gave to Portugal. The Spanish broke the continent in to administrative regions, each with their own governors. The distances, the logistics and the ambitions of local elites meant that the regions began to grow apart; each developing their own local traditions, cuisine and dialect, not to mention the influence of the different indigenous peoples on each region.
By 18 hundred when the independence movements got underway, the national outlines already existed, but without clear territorial limits. So right from day 1 of nationhood the borders were sketchy.
Most disputes have now been resolved. I think (not sure) that only Argentina (claiming FI) and Venezuela (claiming part of Guyana) have unresolved issues.
Squeak!
dadaa!
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