17 Aug 2017

Four illegal fishers netted during large scale regional crackdown

9:53 am on 17 August 2017

117 fishing vessels were boarded at sea and in port during a 10-day regional operation to crack down on illegal tuna fishing.

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Photo: Vanuatu Embassy

Nine patrol boats from the 10 member nations of the Forum Fisheries Agency took part in Operation Island Chief, with support from the navies of Australia, New Zealand and the United States.

More than 350 personnel were involved in the operation that covered 14 million square kilometres of ocean.

Four fishing vessels, three flagged to China and one to Chinese Taipei, were found to be infringing fishing regulations.

The infringements in Vanuatu and on the high seas, centred around misreporting of information and unmarked gear.

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