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Esperanza West Africa Expedition 2014

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Esperanza West Africa Expedition 2014 Summary of findings from 26 October – 21 November 2014 in the

Exclusive Economic Zones of Senegal, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea

May 2015


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Abbreviations

AIS Automatic Identification System

DWF Distant Water Fishing

EEZ Exclusive Economic Zone

EU European Union

FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

MCS Monitoring, Control and Surveillance

MMSI Maritime Mobile Service Identity

IUU Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated

RHIB Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat

Front cover image:

The Greenpeace ship Esperanza was in West African waters.

© Jiri Rezac / Greenpeace

Back cover image

Artisanal Fishing Pirogues in West African waters.

© Jiri Rezac / Greenpeace


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Summary

The depletion of Africa’s marine resources is part of a global fisheries crisis. West African waters are among

the most productive waters in the world and if properly managed, African fisheries could provide food and

livelihoods for millions of people. Yet, the lack of efficient fisheries management systems and the weak

governance by West African governments have allowed Distant Water Fishing (DWF) companies to plunder

marine resources at a low cost and with quasi impunity.

For nearly 20 years, Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing has been recognized by the international

community as a major factor in the depletion of marine resources. Greenpeace has been documenting IUU

fishing activities in West Africa since 2001. Despite several instruments adopted to combat that scourge, IUU

fishing is, unfortunately, still rampant.

From 26 October to 21 November 2014, the Greenpeace ship MY Esperanza sailed through the EEZs of Senegal,

Guinea-Bissau and Guinea to highlight ongoing overfishing and document illegal and destructive fishing

operations in West Africa. The Esperanza operated with the support of a helicopter, recorded potential IUU

fishing operations, including through radar detection. The Esperanza collected evidence of fishing operations

which were in contravention of the relevant coastal States’ legislations in force at the time of observation,

such as fishing in areas where industrial fishing is prohibited. Many types of common infractions, such as

unauthorized mesh size or gear, wrong target species or excessive levels of by-catch could not be documented

as this can only be achieved through an inspection on board fishing vessels.

During 26 days of documentation at sea, 134 different vessels were sighted in the EEZs of Guinea-Bissau,

Guinea and Southern Senegal. The position of the vessels in the EEZs, their flags and types are shown in Table

2.1 in Chapter 2. During the time spent at sea, Greenpeace Africa and Greenpeace East Asia observed in total

53 potential illegal fishing activities, carried out by 32 vessels flagged to China, Korea, Comoros, Morocco and

Senegal flagged vessels in the EEZs of Guinea-Bissau and Guinea. Potential infractions observed included:

fishing in areas where industrial fishing is prohibited;

fishing without a license or license expired1;

transshipping at sea.

All cases observed are classified by flag States and types in table 2.2 in Chapter 2. In addition to these,

according to our observations there are numerous cases of wrong information transmitted by the AIS systems

of these vessels, including misreporting of the vessel's name, MMSI number and/or position.

Greenpeace Africa and Greenpeace East Asia urge all flag States, States of beneficial ownership of the fishing

vessels involved in the potential illegal fishing activities documented during this trip, as well as West African

coastal States:

- To immediately investigate these potential IUU fishing activities

- To put effective measures in place, to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing in West African waters, and

ensure the environmentally sustainable and socially equitable exploitation of marine resources. 2


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Content

Abbreviations........................................................................................................................................................... 1

Summary .................................................................................................................................................................. 2

1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 4

1.1. Routes and methods ............................................................................................................................ 5

1.2. Relevant Fisheries legislation in Senegal, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea .................................................. 6

2. Summary of findings ............................................................................................................................................ 8

3. Potential IUU Cases ........................................................................................................................................... 13

3.1. Chinese-flagged vessels .......................................................................................................................... 13

3.1.1. Vessels owned by Dalian Bo Yuan Overseas Fisheries Co. Ltd. ................................................... 13

3.1.2. Vessels owned by Dalian Lian Run Overseas Fisheries Co. ltd. ................................................... 15

3.2. Korean-flagged vessels ........................................................................................................................... 18

3.3. Transshipment between the Flipper 3 and the Saly Reefer ................................................................... 19

3.4. Senegalese-flagged vessels in Guinea-Bissau and Guinea ..................................................................... 21

3.5. Automatic Identification System (AIS) Misreporting .............................................................................. 22

4. Conclusions and Recommendations .................................................................................................................. 23

Annex 1. Summary of observations ....................................................................................................................... 24

Annex 2. Marine charts, maps and legal texts referenced in this report: ............................................................. 27

References ............................................................................................................................................................. 28


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1. Introduction

West African waters in the central eastern Atlantic Ocean have traditionally been home to thriving fisheries

within the rich Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem, which extends from northwest Africa to Guinea-

Bissau.3 The region is heavily dependent on fisheries in terms of people’s livelihood, employment as well as

food security. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations estimates that fish has been an

important commodity in local economies of many West African coastal countries for centuries.4

But decades of intense exploitation resulted in over 50% of fisheries resources in West African waters being

overfished.5 Between 1950-2009, more than 250 species or groups of species were reported in fish landings

taken by coastal States and 47 distant water fishing nations, and the total reported nominal catches increased

almost twelve fold in that period, from about 300,000 tonnes in 1950 to 3,600,000 tonnes in 2009.6 Local

coastal communities have suffered from the invasion by large numbers of industrial fishing vessels from Asia,

Russia and the EU. In the absence of adequate regulatory frameworks and science-based management plans

to ensure sustainable and equitable fishing activities, destructive and excess fishing capacity is out of control.

In addition to the challenge of overfishing and the lack of a conservation-oriented and precautionary

management framework, African fisheries are plagued by illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing

activities. Available research estimates that total catches in West Africa could be actually 40% higher than

reported catches7. The total loss from IUU fishing in Sub-Saharan Africa EEZs has been estimated to be around

937 million USD8. Such estimates tend to be based on scarce, incomplete data or extrapolations, because

much of IUU fishing still remains undetected. Its real extent and impacts are unknown and most probably

largely underestimated.

Local artisanal fishermen have been complaining about shrinking catches and rising costs and workload. They

are forced to travel further to catch fish and often have to compete for space with industrial trawlers in

dangerous waters, increasing the risk of accidents at sea. Regardless, West African countries continue to sell

fishing rights, often justified by economic interests. However, due to excessive fishing capacity in their waters,

lack of sustainable management and efficient control, the consequences are IUU and overfishing.

Aiming to highlight the ongoing overfishing crisis due to illegal and destructive fishing in West Africa, the

Greenpeace ship Esperanza documented fishing operations in the EEZs of Senegal, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea,

from 26 October to 21 November 2014. As a result, 53 potential infractions, including vessels fishing without a

valid fishing license, vessels fishing in a prohibited area and unauthorized at-sea transshipments were

documented. Greenpeace also witnessed the destructive nature of these fisheries, particularly as a result of

trawling in extremely shallow waters – even less than 10 m deep – and very high by-catch rates.


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1.1. Routes and methods

The Esperanza set sail from Funchal, Madeira on 19 October 2014. From 26 October to 20 November, the

Esperanza sailed through the EEZs of Guinea-Bissau and Guinea. On 21 November, the Esperanza sailed across

the South of the Senegalese EEZ, off Casamance, and documented the fishing activities there on its way back

to Funchal, where it arrived on 27 November 2014.

The documentation was done using the helicopter and the Esperanza’s rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIBs), with

the help of the radar to detect fishing operations in prohibited areas. It was obvious from our observations

that the vessels were more likely to enter prohibited fishing areas at night. However, sometimes there was not

enough time or appropriate weather to deploy a RHIB to document the vessel in time, so the ship’s radar was

used to support the identification of that type of illegal fishing operations. After every helicopter flight, the

sighted vessels and flight tracks were plotted on a GIS system so as to compile an overview of the documented

fishing activities.

Map 1.1. Itinerary of the Esperanza during the documentation period 9


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Map 1.2. Helicopter flights conducted during the documentation period10

1.2. Relevant Fisheries legislation in Senegal, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea

The legislation applicable at the time of observation of the activities described in this report differs in the three

countries concerned. In particular:

Industrial fishing11:

- In Guinea-Bissau: prohibited inside the territorial sea (12 nautical miles from the base line)12

- In Guinea: prohibited inside 12 NM from the base line and within the 20 meter isobath13

- In Senegal: certain categories of industrial vessels are authorized to fish up to 6 miles from the

coast14

Transshipment at sea:

- In Guinea-Bissau allowed under certain conditions15

- In Guinea prohibited as a general rule since at least 2004 until 201316. In July 2013, a Presidential

Decree established a clear prohibition of transshipment at sea17 which was replaced, in January 2014,

by another Decree18. The latter, referred to in the 2014 management plan19, prohibits transshipment

at sea but implies that it can be authorized under certain conditions.

- In Senegal, prohibited except in case of force majeure20

Licenses


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- In all three countries, all vessels engaged in fishing operations are required to have a valid fishing

license.

This is further complicated by the fact that some Governments seem to consider that bilateral governmental

access agreements, take precedence over national legislation, sometimes establishing weaker provisions as in

the case of those concerning by-catch allowances, transhipment conditions and vessel position monitoring,

among others.


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2. Summary of findings

During 26 days of documentation at sea, 134 different vessels were sighted in the EEZs of Guinea-Bissau,

Guinea and Southern Senegal. These vessels were flagged to 7 different countries: China, Comoros, Guinea,

Korea, Morocco, Panama and Senegal. These include different types of vessels: 122 fishing vessels, 7 reefers

(refrigerated transport vessels), 2 supply vessels, 2 patrol boats and 1 oil tanker. The vessels’ positions, flags

and types are shown in Table 2.1, and a summary table for each vessel is provided in Annex 1.

Table 2.1. Vessels sighted during 2014 the Esperanza Expedition

a) By flag State

EEZ Flag

Senegal Guinea-Bissau Guinea Total

China 51 28 79

Senegal 13 (11 Chinese owned)

1 14 28

Comoros 6 6

Guinea 3 1 4

Korea 3 1 4

Morocco 2 2

Panama 1 (Chinese owned)

1

unknown 9 10 (9 possibly flagged to Guinea, 1 possibly flagged to China)

Sum of above 13 68 53 134

b) By vessel type

Type EEZ Senegal Guinea-Bissau Guinea Total

fishing vessels 13 43 66 122 (121 trawlers)

reefers 0 7 0 7

supply vessel 0 1 1 2

Patrol boat 0 1 1 2

oil tanker 0 1 0 1

Sum of above 13 53 68 134

In total 53 potential infractions committed by 32 vessels have been identified, including:

1) two Chinese-flagged vessels fishing inside the 12 NM zone (Bo Yuan 9 and Lian Run 26);


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2) twelve Chinese-flagged vessels fishing inside the 20 m isobath zone (Bo Yuan 1, Bo Yuan 2, Bo Yuan 5, Bo

Yuan 6, Bo Yuan 7, Bo Yuan 8, Bo Yuan 9, Liao Pu Yu 15095, Lian Run 26, Lian Run 33, Lian Run 37 and Lian Run

38);

3) one Korean-flagged vessel fishing but the license has expired 21(Hae Jeong 3);

4) three Korean-flagged vessels fishing inside the 20 m isobath zone (Medra, Seo Jin 1 and Tae Woong 608);

5) one Comoros-flagged vessel fishing but the license had expired(Flipper 3);

6) one at-sea transshipment between the Flipper 3 and the Saly Reefer, but the Flipper 3’s license had expired

7) 2 Senegalese-flagged vessels fishing but not on the official list of authorized vessels; nine Senegalese-, one

Guinea- and one Moroccan-flagged vessels were on the official list of authorized vessels but the license has

expired.

8) one vessel fishing inside the 20m isobath zone, nationality unknown.

In Guinea, a total of 24 potential infractions were documented. 16 of these were committed by Chinese-

flagged vessels, 6 by Korean-flagged vessels, 1 by a Senegalese-flagged vessel and 1 unknown.

In Guinea-Bissau, a total of 29 potential infractions were documented. Out of which 17 were committed by

Senegalese-flagged vessels, 4 by Korean-flagged vessels, 4 by Guinean-flagged vessels, 2 by Comoros-flagged

vessels, and 2 by Moroccan-flagged vessels.

These cases are described in more detail in Section 3.1-3.4.

Table 2.2. Potential infractions sighted during the Esperanza Expedition 2014 (Time: UTC-1)

Types of Infraction Vessel Name Date and time observed Flag EEZ

Fishing inside 12 NM zone (prohibited zone for industrial fishing vessels)

Bo Yuan 9 19 Nov 2014, 5:30 China Guinea

Lian Run 26 7 Nov 2014, 2:56 China Guinea

Fishing inside the 20m isobath (prohibited zone for industrial fishing vessels)

Bo Yuan 1 28 Oct 2014, 7:54 China Guinea


Bo Yuan 5 16 Nov 2014, 15:22 China Guinea

Bo Yuan 6 28 Oct 2014, 8:03 18 Nov 2014, 8:23 19 Nov 2014, 7:47

China Guinea




Liao Pu Yu 15095 28 Oct 2014, 7:46 China Guinea





Medra 1 Nov 2014, 8:41 13 Nov 2014, 14:02 18 Nov 2014, 14:25

Korea Guinea

Seo Jin 1 13 Nov 2014, 13:49 18 Nov 2014, 14:20

Korea Guinea

Tae Woong 608 18 Nov 2014, 2:29 Korea Guinea

Benty 1 28 Oct 2014, 7:38 Unknown Guinea


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Types of Infraction Vessel Name Date and time observed Flag EEZ

Fishing but not on the official list of authorized vessels

Borom 30 Oct 2014, 8:21 Senegal Guinea-Bissau

Kambal III 28 Oct 2014, 18:00 Senegal Guinea

On the official list of authorized vessels but the license had expired

Flipper 3 12 Nov 2014, 7:29 Comoros Guinea-Bissau

Poilao

29 Oct 2014, 7:56 31 Oct 2014, 10:56 11 Nov 2014, 19:49 13 Nov 2014, 7:28

Guinea Guinea-Bissau

Hae Jeong 3

26 Oct 2014, 9:16 29 Oct 2014, 21:28 30 Oct 2014, 17:51 12 Nov 2014, 7:45

Korea Guinea-Bissau

Fishemar 2 26 Oct 2014, 10:01 30 Oct 2014, 8:35

Morocco Guinea-Bissau

Anta Starr 30 Oct 2014, 8:28 Senegal Guinea-Bissau

Betty 26 Oct 2014, 9:14 12 Nov 2014, 11:56

Senegal Guinea-Bissau

Ile de Carabane 26 Oct 2014, 9:10 Senegal Guinea-Bissau

Marcantonio Bragadin

29 Oct 2014, 7:51 31 Oct 2014, 10:49


Ria de Dakar 30 Oct 2014, 8:27 Senegal Guinea-Bissau

Santana 30 Oct 2014, 7:26 12 Nov 2014, 11:46


Saturnia

29 Oct 2014, 8:02 31 Oct 2014, 10:49 11 Nov 2014, 20:01 13 Nov 2014, 7:31


Segundo San Rafael 28 Oct 2014, 20:05 4 Nov 2014, 16:11


Sona 13 Nov 2014, 7:46 Senegal Guinea-Bissau

Transshipment between a reefer and a fishing vessel without a valid license

Flipper 3 and the Saly Reefer

30 Oct 2014, 17:10 Comoros Guinea-Bissau

Only a few fishing vessels in the area had an Automatic Identification System (AIS) device activated. Several

cases were observed where the vessel's name, MMSI number and/or position were wrongly reported. AIS

information can be easily manipulated and there are no mechanisms that ensure that this information is

reliable or consequences following manipulation of the AIS information (see section 3.5).


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Map 2.1. Fishing vessels sighted during the documentation period.2223


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Besides the transshipment between Saly Reefer and Flipper 3, three other at-sea transshipments were

documented, all in the waters of Guinea-Bissau:

– between Hai Feng 895 and CNFC 9305, on 13 November;



Based on available information, it is not possible to determine whether these operations were duly authorized

and conducted according to legal requirements. But, although Guinea-Bissau law provides for the

authorization of transshipment at sea under certain conditions, given the lack of monitoring and control

capacity, some transshipment operations are bound to escape supervision.

Map 2.2. At sea transshipment and supply activities in Guinea-Bissau and Guinea24


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3. Potential IUU Cases

3.1. Chinese-flagged vessels

3.1.1. Vessels owned by Dalian Bo Yuan Overseas Fisheries Co. Ltd.

Summary: The Bo Yuan 9, belonging to Dalian Bo Yuan Overseas Fisheries Co. Ltd.(Dalian Bo Yuan), was found

fishing inside the 12 NM zone. The vessels Bo Yuan 1, Bo Yuan 2, Bo Yuan 5, Bo Yuan 6, Bo Yuan 7, Bo Yuan 8,

Bo Yuan 9 and Liao Pu Yu 15095 were found fishing inside the 20 m isobath.

On 19 November while sailing along the 12 NM territorial waters limit, a vessel was detected at 03:50h on the

radar of the Esperanza. The vessel was inside the 12 NM zone and at trawling speed. At around 05:45h a RHIB

was put in the water and at 06:12h the RHIB met the vessel which was identified as Bo Yuan 9. At 07:50h

helicopter footage was obtained from the same vessel, steaming but still showing a big amount of fish being

sorted on deck. The whole sequence from 03:50h to 07:50h was recorded through radar screenshots at least

every five minutes. At no time was the target lost on the radar screen.

Image 3.1.1.1. Target 51 corresponds to Bo Yuan 9, inside the 12 NM zone (dotted line), making 3.9 knot.

The Bo Yuan 1, Bo Yuan 2, Bo Yuan 6, Bo Yuan 7, Bo Yuan 8, Bo Yuan 9 and Liao Pu Yu 15095 were found

fishing on 28 October 2014 inside the 20 m isobath by the helicopter. The Bo Yuan 5 was also found by the

helicopter inside the 20m isobath on 28 October 2014, and the Bo Yuan 6 on 18 November and 19 November

2014.


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Image 3.1.1.2. On 28 Oct. 2014, Bo Yuan 9 was found illegally fishing inside the 20m isobath zone. The vessel was also

found fishing inside 12 NM zone on 19th Nov 2014 © Jiri Rezac / Greenpeace

Map 3.1.1.1. Dalian Bo Yuan vessels sighted during the documentation period. 25


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3.1.2. Vessels owned by Dalian Lian Run Overseas Fisheries Co. ltd.

Summary: The Lian Run 26, belonging to Dalian Lian Run Overseas Fisheries Co. ltd.(Dalian Lian Run), was

found fishing inside the 12 NM zone. The Lian Run 26, 33, 37 and 38 were found fishing inside the 20m isobath.

On 7 November while sailing along the 12 NM territorial waters limit, a vessel was detected at 02:45h in the

radar of the Esperanza. The vessel was inside the 12 NM zone and moving at trawling speed. At around 03:30h

a RHIB was put in the water and at 04:00h the RHIB met the vessel which was identified as Lian Run 26. The

whole sequence from 02:45h to 04:00h was recorded through radar screenshots every minute. At no time was

the target lost on the radar screen.

Image 3.1.2.1 Target 68 corresponds to Lian Run 26, inside the 12 NM zone (dotted line), making 2.0 knot. 26

The Lian Run 37 was found fishing on 18 November 2014 inside the 20 m isobath by the helicopter.

On 19 November 2014 while sailing along the 12 NM territorial waters limit, four vessels were detected at

22:00h on the radar of the Esperanza. The vessels were likely to be inside the 20 m isobath and moving at

trawling speed. The weather did not allow launching a RHIB immediately. At around 00:10h a RHIB was put in

the water and identified the Lian Run 26, Lian Run 33 and Lian Run 38. A fourth target was missed. The whole

sequence was recorded through radar screenshots every minute and at no time was the target lost on the

radar screen. The positions of the vessels were plotted later on a chart. The Lian Run 33 , 36 and 38 were

found inside the 20 m isobath.


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Image 3.1.2.2 Target 2 corresponds to Lian Run 33, target 5 corresponds to Lian Run 26 and target 94 corresponds to

Lian Run 38.

Image 3.1.2.3. Radar screenshot (image 3.1.2.1) overlay with the 20m isobath. Target 2 corresponds to Lian Run 33,

target 5 corresponds to Lian Run 26 and target 94 corresponds to Lian Run 38. All three vessels were moving at trawling

speed inside the 20m isobath.


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Image 3.1.2.4. On 7 Nov. 2014, Lian Run 26 was found fishing inside the 12 NM zone. The vessel was also found fishing

inside 20m isobath on 19th Nov. 2014 © Gavin Newman/ Greenpeace

Map 3.1.2.1 Dalian Lian Run vessels sighted during the documentation period. 27


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3.2. Korean-flagged vessels

Summary: The Korean vessel Hae Jeong 3 was found fishing in Guinea-Bissau, although it was included in the

lists of licensed vessels available to us at the time, the license had expired. The Korean vessels Medra, Seo Jin 1

and Tae Woong 608 were found fishing inside the 20 m isobath in Guinea.

The Korean vessel Hae Jeong 3 was found fishing in the waters of Guinea-Bissau on 26, 29 and 30 October and

again on 12 November.

The Korean vessels Medra and Seo Jin 1 were found fishing in the waters of Guinea on 13 and 18 November,

and Medra was also found on 1 November. The vessels seem to always operate in the same area, trawling in

very shallow waters, sometimes around 10 m deep. We obtained visual documentation of the ships’

destructive trawling operation and the trail of mud that they leave behind.

The Korean vessel Tae Woong 608 was observed by one of our RHIBs while fishing in the waters of Guinea on

18 November at 02:30h.

Image 3.2.1. On 13 Nov 2014, Seo Jin 1 was found fishing in the 20m isobath zone in the EEZ of Guinea. The ship was

operating in very shallow waters using destructive trawling and left behind clear trail of mud. © Jiri Rezac/Greenpeace


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Map 3.2.1. Korean-flagged vessels sighted during the documentation period. 28

3.3. Transshipment between the Flipper 3 and the Saly Reefer

The Flipper 3, flagged to Comoros, was sighted transshipping with the reefer Saly Reefer in the waters of

Guinea-Bissau on 30 October. It was sighted again fishing in the waters of Guinea-Bissau on 12 November.

According to the list of licensed vessels available to us at that time, its license had expired.


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Image 3.3.1. Transshipment at sea between the Flipper 3 and the Saly Reefer on 30 Oct 2014 in the EEZ of Guinea-

Bissau © Jiri Rezac/Greenpeace

Map 3.3.1. Comoros-flagged vessels sighted during the documentation period. 29


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3.4. Senegalese-flagged vessels in Guinea-Bissau and Guinea

The Senegalese-flagged vessel Borom was sighted fishing in the waters of Guinea-Bissau, but not on the official

list of authorized vessels available to us at the time of sighting. Nine Senegalese-flagged vessels, Anta Starr,

Betty, Ile de Carabane, Marcantonio Bragadin, Ria de Dakar, Santana, Saturnia, Segundo San Rafael and Sona,

were sighted fishing in the waters of Guinea-Bissau. According to the list of licensed vessels available to us at

the time, their licenses had expired at the time of sighting.

However, it was reported that the owners and/or operators of these vessels intended to obtain licenses to fish

in Guinea-Bissau. An updated list of licensed vessels would be required to confirm this information.

Another Senegalese-flagged vessel Kambal III was sighted fishing in the waters of Guinea, but not on the

official list of authorized vessels.

Map 3.4.1. Senegalese-flagged vessels observed during documentation period. 30


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3.5. Automatic Identification System (AIS) Misreporting

AIS has become a widely used source of data on vessel identity, positions, movements worldwide, visible to

other vessels and land based systems. As AIS was designed for safety purposes, it is therefore a publicly

available data stream and could become a useful tool for public supervision of fishing vessels. However, there

are currently no multilateral mandatory requirements for the use of AIS by fishing vessels31, and the

information reported by the ship’s AIS system can be easily manipulated without consequences1.

Among all the 134 vessels sighted during the trip, only 21 vessels could be observed on the AIS system, the

other 114 vessels could either have their AIS devices switched off or not have an AIS device installed at all. Of

the 21 that had their AIS turned on, at least 10 of these vessels had their name, Maritime Mobile Service

Identity (MMSI) number and/or position wrongly reported. All the misreported cases were Chinese-flagged

vessels.

By comparing the information received on the Esperanza and the helicopter AIS systems, as well as direct and

simultaneous observations from the helicopter and the RHIB, we found the vessels below reported

information that was not coherent with the other sources of information:

These include:

Vessel name Company Greenpeace observation

Bo Yuan 11 Dalian Bo Yuan Overseas

Fishery Corp.

1) The location shown on AIS and that observed from our

helicopter did not match. The AIS reported the longitude in East

but it was actually the West, showing the vesselon the land in

the AIS system.

2) The ship was reporting its name as Min Dong Yu

61745 on AIS.

3) It was reporting its MMSI number as 412447093 on

AIS but the MMSI number 412209032 was painted on the ship's

bridge.

Fu Yuan Yu 360,

Fu Yuan Yu 361,

Fu Yuan Yu 362,

Fu Yuan Yu 363,

Fu Yuan Yu 366

Fujian Pingtan Hengli

Fishery co.,ltd.

The ship was reporting false positions around 100º West

longitude (Mexico), showing the vessels in Mexican waters in

the AIS system.

Fu Yuan Yu 381 Fujian Pingtan Hengli

Fishery co.,ltd.

reporting MMSI number 412440272 on AIS while MMSI

number 4124402381 was painted on the ship

Fu Yuan Yu 380 Fujian Pingtan Hengli

Fishery co.,ltd.

reporting MMSI number 412440271 on AIS while MMSI

number 4124402380 was painted on the ship

Bo Yuan 9 Dalian Bo Yuan Overseas

Fishery Corp.

reporting a name “0” on AIS

Liao Pu Yu 15096 Dalian Bo Yuan Overseas

Fishery Corp.

reporting name Onwa487 on AIS

1 Unless it is mandatory and if manipulation is considered as an infraction under the legislation of the flag State


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4. Conclusions and Recommendations

The result of our documentation work at sea clearly shows that West African waters are still threatened by

destructive and illegal fishing practices. Both West African countries, and the distant water fishing countries

home to these fishing fleets should immediately put effective measures in place to prevent, deter and

eliminate IUU fishing in West African waters, and ensure the environmentally sustainable and socially

equitable exploitation of marine resources.

Recommendations to all flag States and States of beneficial ownership of fishing vessels mentioned in this

report:

Urgently carry out a thorough investigation of the potential illegal fishing practices documented in this

report.

Impose strict, dissuasive, non-discriminatory and non-negotiable sanctions and penalties.

Strengthen the MCS and sanction system to ensure that these companies and fleets abide by the rules.

Immediately improve relevant legislation, closing all existing loopholes that companies have used to

engage in IUU fishing.

Recommendations to all concerned coastal States:

Urgently investigate IUU fishing practices in their waters as well as potential malpractice in terms of

oversight and governance allowing unscrupulous DWF operators to flout the rules with quasi impunity

Ensure full transparency of fisheries related data. The list of all fishing vessels authorized to fish in their

waters, or operating under their flag in international waters or the waters of third countries, as well as the

conditions of their fishing licenses and authorizations, infringements, arrests, fines and other sanctions

imposed and other follow-up, must be made public.

Ensure strict enforcement of fisheries management rules.

Improve monitoring, control, surveillance and enforcement mechanisms, including reliable and effective

VMS and participatory surveillance programs.

Adopt effective national and regional plans of action to combat IUU fishing as provided by the FAO

International Plan of Action (IPOA) to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate IUU fishing.


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Annex 1. Summary of observations

Potential cases of illegal fishing are highlighted in red.

No. Name Flag Call Sign Type Area Comments

1 Bo Yuan 1 China Trawler Guinea INSIDE the 20m

ISOBATH

2 Bo Yuan 10 China Trawler Guinea



ISOBATH



ISOBATH.


ISOBATH.


ISOBATH.


ISOBATH.

10 Bo Yuan 9 China Trawler Guinea INSIDE the 12 nm

zone.

11 CNFC 21 China BTTE Trawler Guinea

12 CNFC 22 China Trawler Guinea

13 CNFC 23 China BITG Trawler Guinea

14 CNFC 24 China BITH Trawler Guinea

15 CNFC 9305 China BALR Trawler Guinea-Bissau Transshipping with Hai Feng

895

16 CNFC 9307 China BALT Trawler Guinea-Bissau

17 CNFC 9308 China BAKK Trawler Guinea-Bissau Transshipping with Hai Feng

896

18 CNFC 9310 China BBGX Trawler Guinea Transshipping with Hai Feng

895

19 CNFC 9311 China BBCY Trawler Guinea

20 CNFC 9312 China BBGZ Trawler Guinea

21 CNFC 9314 China BBHA Trawler Guinea

22 CNFC 9502 China BKUF Trawler Guinea-Bissau

23 CNFC 9509 China BYKQ7 Trawler Guinea-Bissau



26 CNFC 9512 China BYLQ2 Trawler Guinea-Bissau

27 CNFC 9702 China BAHR Trawler Guinea-Bissau

28 Fu Yuan Yu 360 China Trawler Guinea










38 Hai Feng 823 China Reefer Guinea-Bissau


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39 Hai Feng 896 China BZZQ5 Reefer Guinea-Bissau Transshipping

with CNFC 9308

40 Hai Gong You

302 China BCGG Tanker Guinea-Bissau

41 He Bei 801 China BDNB2 Trawler Guinea-Bissau

42 He Bei 802 China BDNB3 Trawler Guinea-Bissau

43 Jiu Yuan 811 China BKSY2 Trawler Guinea

44 Jiu Yuan 812 China BKST2 Trawler Guinea

45 Lian Run 17 China - Trawler Guinea

46 Lian Run 18 China V3LB-3 Trawler Guinea

47 Lian Run 19 China Trawler Guinea

48 Lian Run 26 China B2SQ3 Trawler Guinea INSIDE the 12 nm

zone.

49 Lian Run 28 China B2SQ5 Trawler Guinea

50 Lian Run 33 China BECD2 Trawler Guinea INSIDE the 20m

ISOBATH.

51 Lian Run 34 China BECD3 Trawler Guinea




ISOBATH.


ISOBATH.



58 Liao Pu Yu

15095 China Trawler Guinea

INSIDE the 20m ISOBATH.

59 Liao Pu Yu

15096 China Trawler Guinea

60 Yuan Yu 10 China BYXB8 Trawler Guinea-Bissau

61 Yuan Yu 15 China BYZB3 Trawler Guinea-Bissau

62 Yuan Yu 17 China BYYB9 Trawler Guinea-Bissau

63 Yue Yuan Yu 1 China BXAG2 Trawler Guinea-Bissau

64 Yue Yuan Yu 2 China BXAG3 Trawler Guinea-Bissau

65 Yue Yuan Yu 7 China BXAF6 Trawler Guinea

66 Yue Yuan Yu 8 China BXAF7 Trawler Guinea

67 Zhi Jiang 03 China BKJV538 Trawler Guinea

68 Zhi Jiang 04 China BKJK Trawler Guinea

69 Zhi Jiang 05 China BKZA Trawler Guinea

70 Zhi Jiang 06 China BKZB Trawler Guinea

71 Zhong Shui

9201 China BXAH6 Trawler Guinea-Bissau

72 Zhong Shui


73 Zhong Shui


74 Zhong Shui

9416 China BBRE Trawler Guinea-Bissau

75 Zhong Shui

9417 China BBRF Trawler Guinea-Bissau

76 Zhong Shui

9418 China BBRG Trawler Guinea-Bissau

77 Zhou Yu 629 China BKDR Supply Guinea-Bissau


Page 26 of 28

78 Zhou Yu Leng 7 China BKWE Reefer Guinea-Bissau

79 Zhou Yu Leng 8 China BKWD Reefer Guinea-Bissau

80 Flipper 3 Comoros D6FD4 Trawler Guinea-Bissau Transshipping

with Saly Reefer. License expired.

81 Flipper 4 Comoros D6DX2 Trawler Guinea-Bissau

82 Flipper 5 Comoros D6EQ9 Trawler Guinea-Bissau

83 Flipper 7 Comoros D6GF2 Trawler Guinea-Bissau

84 Saly Reefer Comoros D6EU2 Reefer Guinea-Bissau Transshipping with Flipper 3.

85 Silver Ice Comoros D6DA5 Reefer Guinea-Bissau

86 Koubia Guinea Trawler Guinea

87 Moussaya Guinea Patrol Boat Guinea

88 Poilao Guinea J5MG7 Trawler Guinea-Bissau License expired

89 Wassou Guinea 3XWS Trawler Guinea

90 Hae Jeong 3 Korea HLBA Trawler Guinea-Bissau License expired

91 Medra Korea DTBE3 Trawler Guinea INSIDE the 20m

ISOBATH.

92 Seo Jin 1 Korea 6KCC Trawler Guinea INSIDE the 20m

ISOBATH.

93 Tae Woong 608 Korea 6NGE Trawler Guinea INSIDE the 20m

ISOBATH.

94 Fishemar 2 Morocco CNA4034 Trawler Guinea-Bissau License expired

95 Fishemar 8 Morocco CNCL Trawler Guinea-Bissau

96 Hai Feng 895 Panama 3ECC7 Reefer Guinea-Bissau Transshipping

with CNFC 9305 and CNFC 9510

97 Anta Starr Senegal 6WHC Trawler Guinea-Bissau License expired

98 Betty Senegal 6VTT Trawler Guinea-Bissau License expired

99 Borom Senegal 6WIY Trawler Guinea-Bissau No License.

100 Connie Senegal 6VNH Trawler Senegal

101 Ferlo Senegal Patrol Boat Guinea-Bissau

102 Helene Senegal 6VUV Trawler Senegal

103 Ile aux Fees Senegal 6VPZ Trawler Guinea-Bissau

104 Ile aux Oiseaux Senegal 6VSZ Trawler Guinea-Bissau

105 Ile de Carabane Senegal 6VRC Trawler Guinea-Bissau License expired

106 Ile de Santiago Senegal 6VSS Trawler Guinea-Bissau

107 Kambal III Senegal 6WGC Trawler Guinea No License.

108 Marcantonio

Bragadin Senegal 6WEO Trawler Guinea-Bissau License expired

109 Ria de Dakar Senegal 6WIB Trawler Guinea-Bissau License expired

110 Santana Senegal 6VUM Trawler Guinea-Bissau License expired

111 Saturnia Senegal 6WAJ Trawler Guinea-Bissau License expired

112 Segundo San

Rafael Senegal 6WJA Trawler Guinea-Bissau License expired

113 Soleil 10 Senegal 6WDK Trawler Senegal

114 Soleil 11 Senegal 6WDL Trawler Senegal

115 Soleil 12 Senegal 6WDM Trawler Senegal

116 Soleil 51 Senegal 6WJG Trawler Senegal

117 Soleil 61 Senegal 6WJH Trawler Senegal

118 Soleil 65 Senegal 6WJV Trawler Senegal

119 Soleil 66 Senegal 6WJW Trawler Senegal

120 Soleil 67 Senegal 6WJX Trawler Senegal


Page 27 of 28

121 Soleil 68 Senegal 6WJY Trawler Senegal

122 Soleil 8 Senegal 6WDI Trawler Senegal

123 Soleil 9 Senegal 6WOJ Trawler Senegal

124 Sona Senegal 6WHY Trawler Guinea-Bissau License expired

125 Zhou Yu 634 unknown

(possibly flagged by China)

Supply Guinea

126 Appia unknown

(possibly flagged to Guinea)

Trawler Guinea

127 Benty 1 unknown


CK3- Trawler Guinea INSIDE the 20m

ISOBATH.

128 Hai Hong unknown


Trawler Guinea

129 Hai Xing unknown


Trawler Guinea

130 Monique unknown


Trawler Guinea

131 Moriah unknown


Trawler Guinea

132 Morono unknown


Trawler Guinea

133 Vina unknown


fishing vessel Guinea

134 Xing Fu unknown


Trawler Guinea

Annex 2. Marine charts, maps and legal texts referenced in this report:

1. The 12 NM zone where industrial fishing is prohibited in Guinea-Bissau was drawn based on Guinea-

Bissau’s Lei n.° 3/85 de 17 de Maio and Lei n° 2/85 de 17 de Maio.

2. The 12 NM zone where industrial fishing is prohibited in Guinea was drawn based on Guinean Presidential

Decree 092/PRG/SGG and the 2014 Fisheries management plan (Arrêté № A/2014/019/MPA/CAB/SGG).

3. The 20m isobaths inside Guinea’s EEZ was drawn based on the chart De Cabo Roxo à Monrovia (No. 7185 -

INT 1085), published by SHOM (Service hydrographique et océanographique de la marine), France, 1992

and the 2014 Fisheries Management Plan of Guinea (Arrêté № A/2014/019/MPA/CAB/SGG).

4. The EEZs of Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea and Sierra Leone were drawn based on charts/lists of

coordinates available from Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, Office of Legal Affairs, United

Nations. (http://www.un.org/Depts/los/LEGISLATIONANDTREATIES/africa.htm )

5. Maps of the relevant countries are available from GADM database of Global Administrative Areas

(http://www.gadm.org/version2).

http://www.un.org/Depts/los/LEGISLATIONANDTREATIES/africa.htm


Page 28 of 28

References

1 All potential infractions for fishing without a valid license referred to in this report are based on official lists of

authorized vessels available at the time of observations. 2 For more details, please refer to the full report Africa’s Fisheries’ Paradise At A Crossroads Investigating Chinese

Companies’ Illegal Fishing Practices In West Africa Full Report available at https://www.greenpeace.org.cn/africa-fisheries-paradise-at-a-crossroads-report-full/ 3

Review of the state of world marine fishery resources, FAO, 2011, P14. The Western and Eastern Central Atlantic had the highest proportion of overfished stocks, about 54 percent in 2009 4 http://www.fao.org/fishery/topic/14886/en. For example, FAO estimated that the proportion of dietary protein that

comes from fish is extremely high among these WA countries: 47 percent in Senegal, 62 percent in Gambia and 63 percent in Sierra Leone and Ghana 5 Review of the state of world marine fishery resources, FAO, 2011, P14. The Western and Eastern Central Atlantic had the

highest proportion of overfished stocks, about 54 percent in 2009 6 Review of the state of world marine fishery resources, FAO, 2011, P67.

7 http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0004570; http://transparentsea.co/images/5/58/Illegal-

fishing-mrag-report.pdf 8 http://transparentsea.co/images/5/58/Illegal-fishing-mrag-report.pdf, pg 100

9 The 20m isobaths is derived from the chart De Cabo Roxo à Monrovia (No. 7185 - INT 1085), published by SHOM (©

SHOM – 2014 – - reproduction prohibited) The proposed derived products developed on the basis of the marine charts of the SHOM do not replace the official products of a hydrographic service. These derived products have not been verified by the SHOM. 10

Ibid., 9 11

“Industrial fishing” or “industrial fishing vessel” defined in the respective legislation of: Senegal: Décret № 98-498 Chapter II, Section 1, Art. 11 http://www.spcsrp.org/medias/csrp/Leg/SN/Leg_SN_1998_DCR-00498.pdf Guinea: Arrêté № 007/9/MARA/CAB Art 2 http://www.spcsrp.org/medias/csrp/Leg/GUI/nouveau/Leg_GUI_1994_ARR-00007.pdf Guinea-Bissau: Decreto-Lei Art 4 (u) http://www.spcsrp.org/medias/csrp/Leg/GBIS/nouveau/LEG_GB_2011_DCR-LEI-00010.pdf 12

Decreto Lei n.º 10/2011 of 7 June 2011 Art 24 13

Arrêté № A/2014/019 MPA/CAB/SGG Para I (scope) 14

Décret N° 98-498 Art 44 15

Decreto Lei n.º 10/2011 of 7 June 2011 Art 35 16

Arrêté N°A/2013/10611/MPA/CAB/SGG Para. XIV 17

Décret D/2013/128/PRG/SGG of 29 July 2013 Art 1 §1 18

Décret D/008/PRG/SGG of 6th January 2014 Art 2.1 19

Arrêté № A/2014/019 MPA/CAB/SGG Para XIV 20

Loi n°98-32 of 14 April 1998 Art 32 21

All potential infractions for fishing without a valid license referred to in this report are based on official lists of authorized vessels available at the time of observations. 22

Ibid.,9 23 In the legend: “No license” means the vessel was not on the official lists of licensed vessels available at the time of

observation; “License expired” means the vessel was on the official lists of licensed vessels available at the time of observation but the license had expired; “No infraction” means no infraction detectable without boarding the fishing vessels. 24

Ibid.,9 25

Ibid.,9 26

Ibid.,9 27

Ibid.,9 28

Ibid.,9 29

Ibid.,9 30

Ibid.,9 31

The application of the AIS requirements in Regulation 19 of SOLAS Chapter V to fishing vessels is entirely at the behest of the flag State. There is currently no legally binding international agreement imposing the use of AIS for fishing vessels.

https://www.greenpeace.org.cn/africa-fisheries-paradise-at-a-crossroads-report-full/

https://www.greenpeace.org.cn/africa-fisheries-paradise-at-a-crossroads-report-full/

http://www.fao.org/fishery/topic/14886/en

http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0004570

http://transparentsea.co/images/5/58/Illegal-fishing-mrag-report.pdf



http://www.spcsrp.org/medias/csrp/Leg/SN/Leg_SN_1998_DCR-00498.pdf

http://www.spcsrp.org/medias/csrp/Leg/SN/Leg_SN_1998_DCR-00498.pdf

http://www.spcsrp.org/medias/csrp/Leg/GBIS/nouveau/LEG_GB_2011_DCR-LEI-00010.pdf

http://www.spcsrp.org/medias/csrp/Leg/GBIS/nouveau/LEG_GB_2011_DCR-LEI-00010.pdf


Page 1 of 28

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Published in May 2015 by

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Building, No. A 25, Dongsishitiao, Dongcheng

District, Beijing China

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http://www.greenpeace.org/africa

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