Three days ago the New Zealand navy intercepted two ships illegally fishing in the Southern Ocean. These ships, the Songhua and the Kunlun, are flagged out of Equatorial Guinea, but appear to have links to a Spanish organized crime syndicate. Yesterday the New Zealand Herald reported that a third ship, the Yongding, has also been intercepted. All three ships have been documented using banned fishing methods. The ensuing situation proves a strong example of the illegal overfishing crisis currently facing the world’s oceans.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully has stated that the three ships claimed they are not a group, but since they have been operating alongside each other it strongly suggests that they are part of an illegal fishing syndicate. The Songhua and the Kunlun have been linked to Spanish-based syndicate Vidal Armadores SA, and are also on an illegal fishing blacklist created by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR).

New Zealand has contacted Equatorial Guinea for permission to board the ships since they are in international waters, and at the time this is being written are attempting to board. The latest reports indicate that the fishing vessels’ crews are uncooperative and deterring a successful boarding by Navy personnel. While waiting for permission the three ships continued to brazenly and illegally pull Patagonian toothfish out of the ocean under the watch of the New Zealand navy.

The vessels are using flags of convenience, the practice of registering a ship in a country other than that of the owners, to avoid regulations or expenses associated with the owner’s country, in this case Spain.

This incident further demonstrates the links between organized crime and illegal fishing, a link which is often overlooked but which The Black Fish is seeking to bring greater attention to.

We commend the Royal New Zealand Navy and in particular the crew members onboard the patrol vessel HMNZS Wellington for their efforts to halt the illegal fishing activities.

Read more here http://theblackfish.org/news/new-zealand-navy-confronts-illegal-fishing/