Fishing Boat Finally Caught After Using Nets 18 Miles Long
A fishing vessel, STS-50, has finally been captured after eluding Chinese authorities by using flags from eight different countries. The ship was carrying 600 illegal fishing nets, which were used to target the Antarctic Toothfish, a species of cod that plays a vital role in the ecosystem of the Southern Ocean.
These nets, more specifically gillnets, have walls of fine mesh that expand up to a distance of 18 miles, and has been banned in Antarctic waters since 2006. The Australian government describe gillnets as a “huge risk to almost all marine life, including marine mammals due to [its] indiscriminate nature.” The nets also harm seabirds including the endangered albatross, as they may become caught in the nets.
Interpol contacted Indonesia last week to investigate the vessel, after the ship was seen flying the flags of Sierra Leone, Cambodia, Japan, South Korea, Togo, Namibia, and Micronesia at different times. Indonesian fisheries minister Susi Pudjiastuti said “Navy ship Simeuleu conducted a ‘stop, investigate and detain’ operation on Friday and successfully seized the vessel.”
The crew of the STS-50 consisted of 20 Russian and Indonesian crew, with the Indonesian crew members lacking the proper travel documentation, and it has been reported that they were at sea for a long time without pay, and possibly victims of trafficking.
