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Go back / Galapagos dolphins killed by illegal tuna fishing boat (June 4, 2002) GALAPAGOS
NEWS Galapagos dolphins killed by illegal tuna fishing boat (June 4 2002) |
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| Ecuador
is locked in a battle over fishing rights in Galapagos, with the tuna
industry seeking access to its bountiful waters amid an outcry from
environmental groups and animal lovers. A new criminal act against Galapagos Marine Reserve (RMG) happened last weekend. “El Dorado”, a Colombian tuna fishing vessel, associated to the Ecuadorian tuna company INEPACA was found on Friday May 31, 11 miles south of the Española Island, right in the middle of fishing activities. Park Rangers of the Galapagos National Park counted at least 50 dolphins among dead ones and other dolphins that struggled to leave the net in order to breathe. |
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Park
Rangers from the Marine Resources Department of PNG that patrol
with video cameras, obtained images of the dead dolphins floating
and some still trying to breathe inside the net. This is the main
evidence of illegal fishing.
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The International Program of Conservation of Dolphins is conformed by several countries, among them Ecuador and Colombia whose tuna fishing fleets carry out tasks with fence nets in the waters of the oriental Pacific. This program establishes very rigorous norms for the conservation of these marine mammals, among them: 1.- It is obligatory
that an inspector be on board purse seiner tuna boats with a capacity
of 400 tons or higher. 2.- The International
Program of Dolphins Conservation specifies a limit of dolphin mortality
(quota) that is assigned to each ship, previous an application of
the country to which the craft belongs. 3.- Captains
and vessels that catch tuna associated with dolphins should be properly
certified in order to execute this activity. 4.- The crafts that you catch tuna associated with dolphins should have a protective cloth for dolphins (the "Medina Panel"), life rafts and properly trained and equipped crew for the rescue of these marine mammals; the "Back down Procedure” should also be executed during the day and all possible efforts should be carried out to rescue the dolphins that are entangled in the seiner. |
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An
International Revision Board verifies that all these recommendations
will be carried out; this contemplates the establishment of economic
sanctions and suspensions to the ships and captains that don't accomplish
rigorously the effective international norms to protect these marine
mammals.
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| The
capture was realized by PNG patrol boat “ARAUCARIA”.
At the moment, the PNG fleet is patrolling and supervising the activities
of the sea cucumber fishery in coastal waters of the archipelago.
On Friday 31,
at night, “El Dorado” arrived to Puerto Ayora's bay
escorted by the boat ARAUCARIA with a in which a marine of the Armada
of the Ecuador was. Until the present, the craft is to orders of
Puerto Ayora Port Authorities. El Dorado's
crew had apparently cast its nets over dolphins swimming near a
school of yellow-finned tuna without taking precautions to protect
them, violating international norms designed to conserve marine
mammals. Cruz said the boat, which worked with Ecuadorean tuna company
INEPACA, was detained by marine authorities at a Galapagos port,
some 625 miles west of Ecuador's coast. Inepaca is one
of Latin America's largest fish processing facilities. Operating
its own fleet, processing plant, and cold storage facility, Inepaca
supplies some of the world's best known companies with the seafood
- Van Camps, Montecristi, Chicken of the Sea, El Capitán,
and Sea View all place their orders with Inepaca. According to
the film evidence and Park Rangers testimonies, the craft “El
Dorado” was carring out yellow fin tuna fishing associated
with dolphin, without considering none of the effective international
regulations to conserve these marine mammals. Crafts smaller
than 400 tons, as “El Dorado” whose transporting capacity
is of 360 tons, doesn't take observers on board. Therefore this
ship was not authorized to carry out this fishing method, and less
even inside the RMG. The situation
worsens because “El Dorado” didn't have any inspector
on board, neither of the Interamerican Commission of the Tropical
Tuna, nor of the Program of Observers of the Sub-secretary of Fishing
Resources. Additionally, the total of tuna fished ascended to 8
pieces of yellow fin of approximately 35 Kg. each, and the rest
of the capture constituted of dozens of dolphins. The RMG is protected by national and international laws; industrial fishing is completely forbidden inside the area. At the moment, the PNG has begun the pertinent judicial steps against the craft. |
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Source: www.galapagospark.org www.panda.org www.elcomercio.com Reuters Related Topics: Article on patroling the Marine Reserve GO2 Prevent Long
Line Fishing in the Galapagos! GO2 this article, it has an online
form so you can Links: Galapagos National Park www.galapagospark.org/news/en/020610a.htm Herald Tribune http://www.iht.com/articles/65620.html Environmental news network http://www.enn.com/news/wire-stories/2002/06/06052002/reu_47439.asp Planet Ark http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/16296/story.htm Galapagos Conservation Trust |
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