Fishing magnate mum on shipping irregularities inquiry

Fisheries magnate Charles Azzopardi would not comment yesterday on an inquiry into alleged shipping irregularities involving two tuna fishing vessels in his fleet.

The vessels were identified by the global conservation organisation World Wildlife Fund (WWF), which alleged that the two purse seiners were being used as pirate vessels for illegal bluefin tuna trade.

The WWF and Greenpeace Mediterranean reported the matter to the European Commission, which, in turn, relayed the information to the Maltese authorities, asking for an investigation.

Transport Minister Austin Gatt ordered an inquiry into the matter on Monday.

When contacted yesterday, Mr Azzopardi said he could not "comment on the matter as there's an investigation".

The identity of two vessels, the MV Sharone I and MV Gaja I, which fly Bolivian flags, was allegedly used to register two different ships.

The inquiry is meant to establish whether all shipping regulations with regard to registration have been followed and, if any wrongdoing took place, to determine responsibility and whether the Malta Maritime Authority was involved in any wrongdoing. The switching of registration, WWF Mediterranean communications officer Jenna Park told The Times yesterday, was being used to elude the EU's fishing quotas on bluefin tuna. The tuna fished with an unregistered vessel would not be detected by the authorities.

Just last month, an Azzopardi Fisheries stand at Europe's largest seafood exhibition in Brussels had to be closed down for some five hours, along with that of another four companies, while Greenpeace activists raided the exhibition in protest against tuna over-fishing.

"All our business is legal and regular and we are not doing anything wrong. We do not even catch the fish ourselves and all the tuna we buy is certified," Mr Azzopardi had told The Times in reaction to the protest.

mmicallef@timesofmalta.com