Chinese vessels free to go
LEANDREA LOUW
WALVIS BAY
Six Chinese fishing vessels impounded by the Namibian navy after anchoring in a fishing zone near Henties Bay are now free to go.
The skippers claimed that they had to drop anchor in Namibian waters after being warned of bad weather. Investigators could not find any proof of this alleged weather report.
Rear Admiral Sinsy Nghipandua, the navy commander, said the Chinese vessels entered Namibian waters from the north and behaved suspiciously by slowing down and switching off their Automatic Identification System.
On 25 March, they changed course towards land and came to a standstill in a well-known fishing area near Henties Bay.
Navy responds
On 26 March, the navy sent two ships to intercept and impound the fishing vessels if necessary.
Because the captains' claim that they were sheltering from stormy weather could not be substantiated, the navy decided to escort them to Walvis Bay where they could be thoroughly investigated.
On 28 and 29 March, an investigation team, consisting of the navy, the police, the ministry of fisheries and the directorate of maritime affairs, investigated whether the six fishing vessels were guilty of any illegal conduct.
No evidence
“The investigation found that the stowage of their fishing gear indicated no recent fishing activities conducted while in Namibian waters,” the navy commander said.
“The investigation concluded that besides a few discrepancies, there were no violations of the Marine Resources Act, Maritime Traffic Act and the Maritime Affairs Act, nor any illegal conduct on the part of the 40 crew members.
“It was therefore recommended to let them go, subject to the improvement of the weather they are claiming.
“No formal arrest was effected on the six fishing vessels and according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, any vessels suspected of illegal conduct can only be impounded for seven days. We were quick enough to finish our verification before the deadline and the vessels are now free to go,” Nghipandua said.
WALVIS BAY
Six Chinese fishing vessels impounded by the Namibian navy after anchoring in a fishing zone near Henties Bay are now free to go.
The skippers claimed that they had to drop anchor in Namibian waters after being warned of bad weather. Investigators could not find any proof of this alleged weather report.
Rear Admiral Sinsy Nghipandua, the navy commander, said the Chinese vessels entered Namibian waters from the north and behaved suspiciously by slowing down and switching off their Automatic Identification System.
On 25 March, they changed course towards land and came to a standstill in a well-known fishing area near Henties Bay.
Navy responds
On 26 March, the navy sent two ships to intercept and impound the fishing vessels if necessary.
Because the captains' claim that they were sheltering from stormy weather could not be substantiated, the navy decided to escort them to Walvis Bay where they could be thoroughly investigated.
On 28 and 29 March, an investigation team, consisting of the navy, the police, the ministry of fisheries and the directorate of maritime affairs, investigated whether the six fishing vessels were guilty of any illegal conduct.
No evidence
“The investigation found that the stowage of their fishing gear indicated no recent fishing activities conducted while in Namibian waters,” the navy commander said.
“The investigation concluded that besides a few discrepancies, there were no violations of the Marine Resources Act, Maritime Traffic Act and the Maritime Affairs Act, nor any illegal conduct on the part of the 40 crew members.
“It was therefore recommended to let them go, subject to the improvement of the weather they are claiming.
“No formal arrest was effected on the six fishing vessels and according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, any vessels suspected of illegal conduct can only be impounded for seven days. We were quick enough to finish our verification before the deadline and the vessels are now free to go,” Nghipandua said.
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