Spanish captain in court on illegal fishing charges

THE Spanish captain of a fishing vessel that was allegedly caught fishing illegally in Namibian waters last Monday, appeared in the Luderitz Magistrate’s Court on five charges on Friday.

Jorge Alonso Martinez, the 24-year-old captain of the Spanish-registered fishing vessel Maral, was remanded in custody at his appearance before Assistant Magistrate Cornelia Lehanie on Friday. He faces spending at least another 10 days in Police custody, after the Public Prosecutor asked for the case against him to be postponed to July 1 for further investigation.Martinez’s appearance in court resulted from an inspections and surveillance operation that was carried out by the fisheries patrol ship Nathaniel Maxuilili last Monday.It is alleged that the patrol vessel came upon the Maral on the high seas close to 300 kilometres south of Luderitz, and that fisheries inspectors discovered that the Spanish ship was fishing while in Namibian waters.The ship was allegedly found between the 29th and 30th degrees south and the 14th and 15th degrees west, at a point well within the territorial waters of Namibia.The Acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Peter Amutenya, said last week that the Maral did not have the necessary licence to be fishing in Namibian waters.The charges that Martinez faces, under the Marine Resources Act, are unlicensed use of fishing gear, unauthorised harvesting of marine resources for commercial purposes, carrying on board a vessel fishing gear that was not dismantled, unlicensed fishing, and allowing a vessel in Namibian waters while its fishing gear was not dismantled.The Maral, which was found to have almost a ton of tuna, shark and swordfish on board, has been moored at Luderitz since Thursday.If the charges of illegal fishing are proven in court, the ship may be confiscated by the State.He faces spending at least another 10 days in Police custody, after the Public Prosecutor asked for the case against him to be postponed to July 1 for further investigation.Martinez’s appearance in court resulted from an inspections and surveillance operation that was carried out by the fisheries patrol ship Nathaniel Maxuilili last Monday.It is alleged that the patrol vessel came upon the Maral on the high seas close to 300 kilometres south of Luderitz, and that fisheries inspectors discovered that the Spanish ship was fishing while in Namibian waters.The ship was allegedly found between the 29th and 30th degrees south and the 14th and 15th degrees west, at a point well within the territorial waters of Namibia.The Acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Peter Amutenya, said last week that the Maral did not have the necessary licence to be fishing in Namibian waters.The charges that Martinez faces, under the Marine Resources Act, are unlicensed use of fishing gear, unauthorised harvesting of marine resources for commercial purposes, carrying on board a vessel fishing gear that was not dismantled, unlicensed fishing, and allowing a vessel in Namibian waters while its fishing gear was not dismantled.The Maral, which was found to have almost a ton of tuna, shark and swordfish on board, has been moored at Luderitz since Thursday.If the charges of illegal fishing are proven in court, the ship may be confiscated by the State.