The New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) has reported that following a New Zealand surveillance flight, a foreign vessel spotted fishing with illegal gill nets north of the country has left the area.
The Curacao-flagged Millennium was twice seen in June in international waters beyond NZ’s Exclusive Economic Zone catching deepwater sharks with gill nets – a method of fishing banned in February 2010 during negotiations to establish the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO).
New Zealand is an active participant in SPRFMO and says that high seas patrols are an important part of the country’s contribution towards stopping IUU fishing.
Manager International Jane Willing said an encouraging aspect of this case was that Curacao, an island in the Caribbean off the coast of Venezuela, took action despite not being a party to SPRFMO.
“The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade wrote to the Curacao authorities pointing out the errors of its vessel’s ways under international law and invited them to cease and desist.
“The Curacao Ministry of Economic Development got straight on the case and directed the vessel to stop its fishing activities in the area. This duly happened and the vessel has left the Pacific.”
