One hundred and five jiggers and one trawler have been offered Falkland Islands Illex squid licenses for the coming season which opens on February 15. The total number of licences offered matches those taken up in 2014, confirmed Director of Natural Resources John Barton at the Islands Fisheries Committee Meeting.
The crew of the Sea Shepherd ship, Bob Barker, has confirmed that a set of buoys, attached to a beacon, were set out by the crew of the Thunder under the cover of night, indicating that the vessel is resuming illegal fishing activity.
Argentine president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner is expected to sign agreements with China to increase military co-operation, including construction of new warships for the Argentine Navy, during her current state visit to Beijing, according to media reports and Jane's Defense Weekly.
Two illegal fishing boats that evaded the New Zealand navy are now in Australian waters, but it's unclear whether local authorities will intervene. Conservation group Sea Shepherd on Monday said one of their ships patrolling the area, the Sam Simon, intercepted the Yongding and the Kunlun at 11.30am AEDT with prohibited fishing gear on its deck.
At the request of New Zealand, INTERPOL Purple Notices have been issued to seek information on the individuals and networks behind three vessels fishing illegally in the Southern Ocean.
Staying hidden behind sea ice and large waves, sailors aboard a navy patrol boat from New Zealand sneaked up on three suspected poaching ships, then took photos and video of the fishermen hauling in prized fish in banned nets from the ocean near Antarctica. Seemingly caught red-handed, the crews of the rusting vessels just kept on fishing.
The New Zealand navy has discovered a third boat fishing illegally. The Foreign Ministry informed that the HMNZS Wellington caught another vessel, Yongding, to the west of the Ross Sea, in Antarctic waters.
The Royal Navy’s Ice Patrol Ship has carried out her first inspection of a fishing vessel in Antarctic Waters. HMS Protector met the fishing vessel while on patrol in Antarctic waters and made arrangements to carry out the inspection.
Newsan, an Argentine firm involved in electronics but also in seafood supply, has reportedly acquired Argentine operations of Japan’s second largest seafood company, Nippon Suisan Kaisha (Nissui). The operation follows an incident involving alleged fishing of the Japanese company in the South Atlantic both in Argentina and Falklands' waters.
On Thursday, the Sea Shepherd ship, Bob Barker, marked the 22nd day of its pursuit of the Interpol-listed poaching vessel, Thunder. In doing so, the conservation ship has broken the record for the world's longest sea chase of a poaching vessel.