Spanish tuna fishers say they are in a dilemma and their vessel owners must come to a decision.
The presence of pirates in the marine zones to the west and the north-west of the Seychelles is dangerous for the tunny boats while the areas east of the 60th meridian hardly any fish can be found in the moment.
While French ships with navy soldiers on board dare to follow the tuna shoals to the north-west and boast about their catches, the Spanish companies have instructed their skippers to direct their boats towards the zones that they consider safe. The captains therefore face the dilemma to remain in a safe zone without fish or to go towards the west and towards Somalia, where the shoals of tuna fish are located, but to take the risk of being boarded by Somali sea-shifta.
A serious dilemma exists at the best time of the year to fish tuna in the Indian Ocean. “During these two months – October and November – usually we almost fish half of the captures of all the year,” say the Spanish fishermen.
In fact, some boats go now to the zone they left after the kidnapping of FV ALAKRANA, while others decided to maintain course towards the central and eastern zones of the Indian Ocean and to move away from the danger of the pirates of Somalia.
“I do not know if we will catch fish, but at least we can sleep quiet,” said one of these skippers to the Spanish newspaper DEIA.
A total of eight Basque boats with flag of the Seychelles is willing now to take private security on board. The ships FV ARTZA, FV INTERTUNA I and FV INTERTUNA II – all large tuna haulers – were the first to hire British ex-military personnel and equip their boat with military weapons, a move, which is strongly opposed by the majority of the shipping industry.
These three purse-seiners and the FV DEMIKU have now each four armed men on board, who are supposed to provide safety in a move which is seen as an escalation in the fisheries wars. Other vessels, who fly the Spanish flag seem to be bogged down in security policies and administrative hurdles at home and fear to loose this season.
As of December the tuna in one of the most magnificent migrations of the oceans moves towards the centre of the Indian Ocean where pirate activity is still less observed. “Therefore, we need security now, without major delay,” says an owner of a Spanish-flagged tunny boat.
The excellent catch obtained by the French boats in the waters near Somalia, who work in pairs and at a distance of 50 to 25 miles, makes the Spanish jealous. “Now we will play Russian roulette,” is the thought of the Basque tuna hunters.
A French fishing boat the FV TREVIGNON worked alone before the insecurity increased and has since united with a pair of French tunny boats to form a trio heavily guarded by soldiers.
Meanwhile the command of the EU NAVFOR Atalanta Operation only could advise the Spanish boats to avoid three potentially dangerous zones.
One of them includes a radius of 200 miles to the north of the Seychelles islands. Another one stretches along a direct line between Port Victory and the port of Kismayo in Somalia.
The third danger zone includes the triangle formed by the Seychelles and the Somali ports of Haradheere – where the seized FV ALAKRANA is held – and Eyl to the north.
Even at Port Victory certain security procedures were recommended.
Source: Australia.to
