Greenpeace presentation to the FAO Committee on Fisheries: "IUU Fishing Exposing the system and
loopholes that keep pirates plundering the oceans". March 2009.
1. IUU fishing on trial
Exposing the system and
loopholes that keep pirates
plundering the oceans
FAO Committee on Fisheries
Rome, 5th March 2009
2. IUU fishing levels remain too high
8 years after the FAO IPOA
Estimations suggest that between 11-19% of the
global catch is derived from IUU activities
Overcapacity and shrinking resources exacerbate
the problem – very little progress in capacity
reduction
3. FAO IPOA on IUU fishing
Key instrument but voluntary
Progress has been slow
Little use of regional plans of action
4. Regional Fisheries Bodies
Different degrees of performance
Not equally efficient when IUU fishing is
carried out by CPs
Lack of communication between RFBs
5. Main loopholes
Transshipments and resupplying of vessels – lack
of controls over non-fishing vessels
Re-flagging – lack of vessels traceability
Weak port controls, granting of port services
other than offloading
Irresponsible flag states
6. Main loopholes
Measures against vessels but not against
nationals or companies
Poor communication between governments and
organizations
Lack of will to put time and resources on the issue
7. The case of Vidal Armadores S.A.
Over one decade in business
Operating a fleet in the Southern Ocean in the
late 90's
The Camouco (Panama) – Arvisa I (Uruguay) –
Eternal (Netherlands Antilles)
The hot pursuit of the Viarsa I (Uruguay)
Still operating a fleet today!
8. Antonio Vidal Pego
Problems with the justice
Indicted in the US in
September 2005, for importing
26 t of PTF and falsifying
documents
Pleaded guilty in November
2006 and was placed on
probation for 4 years.
9. The Paloma V
Illegal activities documented
Tried to offload 98
t. of Patagonian
toothfish in
Auckland, in May
2008
Owned by a
Namibian joint
venture
Inspection proved
it had been
involved in IUU
operations and
was controlled by
Vidal Armadores
10. The Paloma V
Illegal activities documented
Transshiping
with the
blacklisted
Chilbo San 33 on
8 August 2007
Transshipping
with the
blacklisted Black
Moon on 18
November 2007
11. The Paloma V
Links to Vidal Armadores S.A
Invoices on-board established
very clearly that the ship as
supplied by Vidal Armadores
in Spain
12. The Paloma V
Links to Vidal Armadores S.A
The owner was a
Namibian joint
venture between a
Namibian company
and Mabenal S.A,
based in Uruguay
13. The Paloma V
Links to Vidal Armadores S.A
Mabenal is 100%
by Vidal
Armadores S.A.
14. The Paloma V
Links to Vidal Armadores S.A
Emails on board
confirmed that the
company is operated by
Vidal and further
indicate that he
operates a fleet
15. The Paloma V
Legal and illegal
vessels cooperate
Fleet online view
The Spanish flagged
Galaecia and Belma are
included together with
blacklisted vessels
16. The Paloma V
Spanish nationals
involved
Crew list
Lack of use of
legislation
against nationals
The case of
Antonio García
Pérez
17. The Paloma V
Spanish nationals
involved
Lack of use of
legislation against
nationals
The case of Antonio
García Pérez
19. The Black Moon
Illegal activities documented
Involved in a long list of IUU
operations between October
2005 and May 2006
Confirmed gillnet fishing
operations
20. The Black Moon
Illegal activities documented
Just between October 2005
and 24 April 2006 the
vessel was involved in joint
operations with nine fishing
vessels, eight of which were
blacklisted
25. Vidal Armadores
The case of the
Galaecia
Alleged transhipment with the
Magnus (the Blackmoon) and the
Hammer in August 2004.
Reported by the observer on-
board.
Should a vessel belonging to this
operator been licensed and
subsidized to carry out 'scientific
research'?
26. Vidal Armadores
The case of the
Galaecia
Complaints in CCAMLR
about the granting of a
license to the Galaecia for
an exporatory fishery
The Galaecia and the Belma
were licensed in the IOTC
area in 2006 and 2007
27. The end of the
Galaecia
Pirates to the rescue
The Galaecia caught fire
on July 2008 and the crew
was rescued by the
Galaxy, which is actually
the same vessel as the
Black Moon.
Even here the vessels on
the screenshot show to
be operating together
28. The case of the Belma
Charters for Vidal's vessels
ICCAT convention area 2008
29. A fleet still operative in the Southern Ocean
Crew swapping
vessels
The list of
vessels
operated by
Vidal may be
longer: Duero,
Cetan, ...
30. Good progress could be achieved in 2009
A strong Port State Agreement
First steps of a global record of fishing vessels
Progress in addressing nationals and
companies
Need for an investigation – GP took action this
morning
Strengthen regional cooperation
Capacity reduction?