FMAP replies to Sea Shepherd captain
In a letter signed by their lawyers, the FMAP replied to various questions made by Sea Shepherd captain Paul Watson on the recent tuna incidents.
The FMAP said that Watson is trying to justify his illegal actions in attacking a cage belonging to a farming operator.
“He knows that he has committed an illegal act, has deliberately caused substantial damages to an economic operator and has deliberately placed a number of lives in danger. It must be clarified that in the incident in question the Steve Irwin rammed the cage deliberately in an attempt to breach the cage. The ramming took place notwithstanding that there were employees in full sight of the ship on the gangway surrounding the cage”.
The FMAP also said that Watson is attempting to justify his ill conceived act of bravado by casting doubts on the catch.
“In order to do so he raises a number of questions which would actually have been answered had he inspected the documentation. Of course he has no right to inspect the documentation because contrary to what he imagines he is not a lawful authority. He could however have waited for the authorities. Contrary to his declarations, military vessels flying the flags of a number of EU states have ventured into the Libyan fishing zone to control the fishery and make inspections. His claim to have contacted ICCAT, and the claimed reply of the latter cannot be true because Libya is a contracting party at ICCAT and therefore bound by the same rules which bind the EU and other contracting parties”.
THE FMAP said that this incident is different from other incidents which occurred previously in that the Armed Forces were not present. Paul Watson admits that on previous occasions the Maltese armed forces allowed him to inspect cages under their supervision. It is obvious therefore that the Maltese Authorities would have intervened had any evidence of wrongdoing been brought to light.
The relevant owners have assured the FMAP and the Prime Minister that the fish was caught legally. Malta is entitled to acquire fish for farming wherever it comes from provided it is caught under the ICCAT quota system.
"We are informed that the fish was travelling with correctly compiled Bluefin catch documents which, incidentally is part of the control mechanism approved recently by the European Parliament".
THE FMAP said that they are also informed that the owners of the fish will be pursuing a claim against the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. They also publicly thanked the Maltese government for their support in the case.
