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Mauritius: Indian Ocean haven for pirate fishing vessels
 Download
a .pdf version of the report and its appendix.
Contents
Causes
Evading detection
Pirate Fishing and the Southern
Ocean
Impacts:
Toothfish
Seabirds
The emergence of the toothfish fishery
Mauritius: Pirate Port
The Salvora Case
International Efforts
Mauritius: still harbouring pirates
Pirate Fishing: global problem
Mauritius:
challenge and opportunity
Also, check out our to see Greenpeace's list of recent activity in Mauritius
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Mauritius
was again identified as the primary port for landings of pirate-caught
toothfish at CCAMLR’s meeting in November 1999. Using the limited information
available, CCAMLR cautiously estimated that about 12,280 tonnes of toothfish
was trans-shipped in Mauritius in 1998.
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The Salvora arrives in Mauritius accompanied by Greenpeace in March
1999. Greenpeace had earlier caught the ship fishing illegally in
the Southern Ocean.
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Mauritius:
The pirate port
Mauritius is a major trans-shipment point of illegally caught toothfish
to markets around the world. Mauritius does not officially report the
volume, value and destination of its toothfish exports. However it is
known that Mauritius ships fish to Chile, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore,
Taiwan and the USA. UN FAO trade data shows that Japan imported 3066 tonnes
of toothfish from Mauritius in 1998. CCAMLR reports show that the USA
imported 537 tonnes from Mauritius. Shipments to Chile, Japan and the
USA are particularly deplorable as these states are CCAMLR members and
among those countries charged with protecting the species.
Mauritius was again identified as the primary port for landings of pirate-caught
toothfish at CCAMLR’s meeting in November 1999. Using the limited information
available, CCAMLR cautiously estimated that about 12,280 tonnes of toothfish
was trans-shipped in Mauritius in 1998. In 1997, an estimated 16,393 tonnes
had passed though Mauritius. CCAMLR figures show that landings of toothfish
in Mauritius were 63% of the total Indian Ocean toothfish catch.
Moreover, CCAMLR noted that there had been reports of toothfish being
landed in IUU ports under other species names, contributing to the illegal
catch.
Although some data is collected by Mauritius on the origins of the toothfish
landed there, this information is entirely provided by the masters of
the pirate vessels themselves. Perhaps not surprisingly, all these vessels
claim to have caught the toothfish outside national waters. Five of the
seven locations reported to CCAMLR by Mauritius are well outside the CCAMLR
area but two locations are within waters managed by CCAMLR.
In a recent article in a Mauritian newspaper, a representative of the
Mauritius Freeport Authority asserted that the toothfish trans-shipped
in Port Louis was caught in international waters. It has been claimed
that because Mauritian authorities cannot determine whether toothfish
aboard arriving vessels has been caught within the waters managed by CCAMLR
and/or the EEZs of subantarctic islands, or in international waters, this
somehow justifies inaction on the part of Mauritius authorities.
Greenpeace believes that, far from being a reason to continue to allow
the landing of toothfish in Mauritius, this is a compelling reason not
to allow landings of this threatened fish species at Mauritius ports.
The Salvora case 
The emergence of the toothfish fishery
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