Korean trawlers accused of fleeing Sierra Leone with stolen catch

Jan 5, 2012, 15:02 GMT

Monrovia/Freetown - Two South Korean fishing trawlers have reportedly fled Sierra Leone after arrest warrants were issued on charges of stealing fish, the London-based Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) said Thursday.

The vessels, which are authorized to sell fish in the European Union, were caught fishing in a zone reserved for small-scale Sierra Leonean fishermen.

The Sierra Leone government issued the warrants in December and called the ships to port.

Instead, they fled and are believed to be travelling to neighbouring Guinea - a port-of-call en route to Las Palmas, the entry point into the European market, EJF said.

The group said this was the latest incident in which fish was stolen from African waters in order to sell to European customers. In 2011, about 6 million dollars worth of illegal fish was seized by authorities in Las Palmas before it entered the European Union.

Environmental groups say the fish often ends up on the dinner plates of unsuspecting European customers, particularly in Spain, rather than contributing to the livelihoods of poor West African fishermen.

'The flight of these two pirate vessels from Sierra Leone shows a flagrant disregard for local and international law,' said EJF's executive director Steve Trent.

'The fact that both vessels fly a South Korean flag and are accredited to export to the European Union demonstrates the need for better communication and coordination between nations to combat pirate fishing,' he said.

Sierra Leone, which has a rich history of artisanal fishing, now loses about 29 million dollars a year because of pirate fishing.

Eight illegal fishing vessels were caught in Sierra Leone in 2011. A trawler caught in October fled after refusing to pay the 900,000-dollar fine imposed by the government.

Globally, illegal fishing nets its perpetrators between 10-23 billion dollars annually.

Along the way, it threatens the food security and livelihoods of poor communities, puts pressure on vulnerable fish stocks and jeopardizes delicate marine environments.

Scientists estimate that if fish stock exploitation continues, most commercial fish stocks could be exhausted in the next 40 years.