Ocean conservationist, Sea Shepherd Global, is sending a patrol ship to the South Pacific island of Tuvalu to help combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
The 54.6 metre Allankay will carry members of the Tuvalu police service who will have the authority to inspect and detain fishing vessels engaged in criminal activity in Tuvalu’s sovereign waters.
“Sea Shepherd Global is excited to bring a model that we know works to the South Pacific for the first time,” commented Alex Cornelissen, Sea Shepherd Global’s chief executive.
“We know the impact of these patrols. In the places where we work, illegal fishing has been largely eliminated,” he added.
Illegal fishing poses a particular threat to Tuvalu as more than half of the country’s economy depends on fisheries.
In recent years, satellite imagery has shown the presence of ‘dark vessels’ operating in the waters of Tuvalu. A dark vessel is one that is not transmitting its position through a mandatory location transponder, likely in an attempt to elude authorities and fish illegally.
“Use of the Allankay will allow the government of Tuvalu to make such intelligence actionable, as the ship has the range and endurance to allow for law enforcement agents stationed on board to control the entirety of Tuvalu’s maritime space,” explained Peter Hammarstedt, Sea Shepherd Global’s director of campaigns.
The Allankay is being provided at no cost to the government of Tuvalu.
