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ACTION UPDATE: BLOCKING THE TRANSHIPMENT OF ILLEGALLY CAUGHT TUNA TO REEFER Friday 12 May 2000

In the waters of the Central Atlantic, roughly 400 miles from Angola, Zaire, Congo and Gabon…

6.30am: Early morning wake up call again! A beautiful sunrise seems to promise a wonderful day and conditions couldn't be more perfect, with almost calm seas. Very different to those on the day of our first encounter of the expedition with a pirate fisher, the Chien Chun No. 8 - then the seas were really moving and at the limit of what inflatables and helicopter could handle.

7.20: Action stations - action team to inflatables! 7.50: We pass the reefer we have been following overnight to port, but not near enough to identify. There is also a fishing vessel close by.

7.55: Another ship appears on the radar and is moving towards the reefer.

8.20: We identify the reefer as the Panama-flagged MV Toyou.

8:30: The MV Toyou lowers her fenders in preparation for transhipment with one of two fishing vessels. One of the smaller inflatables is lowered with Bart, Babette and Darren onboard.

8:35: We identify the closest fishing vessel as the Yuh Yeoh 6, a Taiwanese vessel, which appears to be manoeuvring alongside the Toyou.

8:40: The other fishing vessel is also very close now. We identify it as the Hau Shen 202, flagged in Belize, which means that she is part of the fleet of pirate fishing vessels operating in the Atlantic Ocean catching bigeye and bluefin tuna, swordfish and other “migratory” species, despite the fact that this is in contravention of the International Commission for the Conservation of the Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT).

Now the Hau Shen moves to go alongside the Toyou, but we're ready!

8:45: By now, two more inflatables are in the water: another small one complete with Jimmy, Jo and Fred and the Mermaid with Craig and Walter onboard (the Blue Whale is still suffering from a steering problem). All three inflatables speed out to the Toyou as the MV Greenpeace blocks the Hau Shen from coming any closer. The two smaller inflatables, holding banners reading “Stop Pirate Fishing Now!” attach themselves to the fenders which the Toyou lowered, while the Mermaid stands by. 8:50: Tweetie's up, up and away! 8.52: The Captain of the MV Toyou calls the MV Greenpeace on the ship's radio and we inform him that we will deliver a message. The message asks the Toyou to stop servicing flag of convenience vessels such as the Hau Shen. Cargo vessels like the Hau Shen, allow pirate fishing activities to continue unabated and help pirate vessels to break international regulations, which is why we define pirate fishing to include reefers like the Hau Shen and Hatsukari (see updates of 6 and 7 May).

Pirate fishing, which is a threat to fish and other marine species and undermines ICCAT international conservation measures, must be stopped! Greenpeace is taking action, since it is clear that the relevant authorities are not - because they lack either the will or resources.

We are currently roughly 400 miles west of Angola, and, therefore in international waters, which are not subject to any particular state's jurisdiction. At the moment, only the flag state on which a vessel is registered has the right to take measures against vessels operating on the high seas. Flag of convenience states have been requested time and time again by various official bodies and Greenpeace, to stop vessels registered on their flags from fishing in contravention of international agreements such as ICCAT. ICCAT members allow companies based in their countries to register their vessels on flags of convenience, thereby avoiding the quotas, which they must observe as members of ICCAT. Chien Chun No.8, for example, is owned by a company based in Taiwan, but is registered on Belize flag. Although Taiwan is not a member of ICCAT, it has special “Co-operating Status” and is entitled to fish in this area, within specified quotas.

It is the coastal states (in this case, the West African coastal States of Angola, Zaire, Congo and Gabon), which are the first to suffer from the uncontrolled exploitation of marine resources inside their EEZ or in adjacent high seas waters: they often do not have the necessary resources to combat the activities of the pirate fishers.

8.55: The Mermaid delivers one message to the Toyou and one to the Hau Shen.

9.10: The Captain of the MV Toyou advises that he understands our demands, but that he was not aware that he should not accept fish from the MV Hau Shen. He should be! The Toyou is registered on Panamanian flag and Panama is now a member of ICCAT. He says that he will give up plans to tranship from the Hau Shen and return directly to Cape Town. But the Hau Shen is still hanging around nearby. So we ask the Toyou to confirm in writing, that it will not accept tuna from the Hau Shen. Exchanges with the MV Toyou become increasingly heated.

9.25: The Captain of the MV Toyou refuses to give us written confirmation. When we ask him why not, he is unable to give us a convincing answer. We repeat our request for written confirmation and advise that we will stay with them until they provide the requested fax. Furthermore, that if they do not respond, we will contact their company in Japan. 9:27: The MV Toyou escalates the situation by attempting to pull up one of the fenders with one of our inflatables attached. Our Captain, Peter orders the Toyou to stop: they are endangering our people! 9:35: Two of the activists from each of the smaller inflatables climb onto the fenders of the Toyou. Babette and Darren are on the fender at the stern, with Jo and Fred on the fender towards the bow.

9:40: The Captain of the MV Toyou capitulates and advises us to stand by for their fax.

9:48: The Toyou's fax arrives. It states that they have given up on transfer from the Hau Shen and will proceed directly back to Cape Town.

10.05: Only 7 minutes later and the Captain of the reefer appears to have had a change of heart! He asks us to delete the word "directly", which of course means that they intend to continue to tranship tuna, even if they have given up on the Hau Shen, which along with the other fishing vessel, has now left.

10:10: We ask them, therefore, to sign an undertaking that they will not tranship fish from any pirate fishing vessel, draft the wording for them and deliver the message to them by inflatable.

10:20: The Captain of the Toyou calls us on the ship's radio again, asking if he can tranship from Japanese and Taiwanese vessels. Both these countries are entitled to fish in these waters, within their quotas and are not, therefore, pirate fishers. We fax him a list of ICCAT members.

10:25: The Captain of the Toyou accepts our offer to send someone over to explain ICCAT regulations and which vessels he can and cannot accept fish from.

10:30: I have rushed downstairs to change out of my shorts (following Hélène's recommendation to Namhee before they boarded the Chien Chun - "First rule for female campaigners - don't show your legs to these men who have been at sea for weeks!"). As I run up to the pilot door, the inflatable has already left with Hélène - who's still wearing shorts - not surprisingly, the last thing on her mind at this stage in the proceedings is what to wear! I am later comforted by the knowledge that I would not anyway have been allowed on board the Toyou - they were very clear that only one person could go on board. So Hélène braves it alone.

10:35: Now I'm almost glad I didn't make it in time to the inflatable as, unbelievable as this may sound, and much to the excitement and disbelief of those of us remaining on board, we spot a whale which circles the MV Greenpeace! Then it surfaces! We can see it's back and a distinctive fin, which leads us to believe it may be a fin whale. Unfortunately no photos, since Jeremy and Gavin are off filming Hélène's visit to the Toyou, so you'll just have to take my word for it!

10:50: Hélène returns to the MV Greenpeace, with a signed undertaking from the Captain of the Toyou not to tranship fish from flag of convenience vessels. The Captain apparently looked rather nervous. The undertaking reads that they will not tranship fish from any flag of convenience vessels.

Greenpeace is also calling on the government of Belize to take enforcement action against the Hau Shen and its owner Hau Yow Fisheries Co. Ltd, based in Taiwan. However, Belize is a notorious FOC country with some 400 fishing vessels flying its flag and operating illegally around the world. Last week, we found and documented three Belize-flagged vessels fishing in violation of ICCAT rules - the Chien Chun No. 8, Jeffrey 816 and Jacky 11. We have also requested the government of Belize to take enforcement action against these vessels, but thus far no action has been taken.

We continue to follow the Hau Shen 202, which heads SSE. At some point in the evening she starts to follow us, in a game of cat and mouse. There are several other fishing vessels in the area and they come after us with search lights. But we are not to be dissuaded and the crew of the MV Greenpeace, is only prepared to retreat as far as the poop deck - for Phil's birthday celebrations!