Fishermen fire flares at tuna fishing protesters
The Sea Shepherd anti-tuna fishing campaign has reported a fresh clash between its flasgship Steve Irvin and tuna fishermen on the Cesare Rustico off the Libyan coast. A number of Maltese work on the Cesare Rustico.
The Sea Shepherd said that at 9 a.m. today, Steve Irwin moved into Libyan waters to inspect a cage being towed by the Italian Cesare Rustico. With the Sea Shepherd helicopter overhead, an inflatable Delta boat and dive team approached the cage.
The Cesare Rustico dropped the tow line and turned to defend the cage. At the same time the fishing vessels the Tagreft and the Rabbah 1060, along with the trawler Misurate 96, moved in quickly to defend their illegal catch of Bluefin, Sea Shepherd said.
"Immediately and without warning, the Steve Irwin was attacked with a barrage of flares aimed at the wheelhouse and the crew on deck. The Cesare Rustico issued a May Day distress signal saying they were under attack by the Steve Irwin even though the our crew had merely approached the cage to inspect the catch. Most worrying was the fact that the Sea Shepherd helicopter piloted by Chris Aultman was 'painted' by the Libyan airborne radar system."
Sea Shepherd said that in the interest of safety, it withdrew its inflatable and helicopter to the Steve Irwin.
"We then retreated to a safe distance away from the waters claimed by Libya. The two vessels Tagreft and the Rabbah 1060 pursued and continued to fire flares at the us. We were able to lose them quickly."
It claimed that the captain of the Cesare Rustico radioed the Tagreft and Rabbah 1060 to, "do whatever you can to damage them so they will never return."
The Captain of the Cesare Rustico reportedly also said that the Libyan Navy was within a few miles and closing in. However there were no Libyan naval vessels within thirty miles on the radar.
The Sea Shepherd vessel Steve Irwin is now heading north into international waters.
The Steve Irwin was involved in a similar clash with the Cesare Rustico on Thursday, when two Maltese were hurt.
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Adrian Gambin
Jun 21st 2010, 18:06
What's wrong in getting Tuna which after all is being grown? The sea shephard crew must find something better to do !
R Muscat
Jun 21st 2010, 11:32
Well said Reno Calleya, EXTINCTION IS FOR EVER, Dr Gonzi should be ashamed of himself to be seen backing poachers who had fished the Tuna AFTER the season was closed.
Turning a blind eye on poachers is a bad example as it encourages others likeminded idiots to act in an irrational manner, hence the anarchy we see everyday on our streets, construction sites, countryside and now aour sea.
Dr Gonzi should instead be seen to be backing those who are trying hatch tuna eggs and grow them, in a sustainable manner, this is the kind of international positive press that the country should be getting, not the negative press that this incident has caused for Malta.
David Caruana
Jun 20th 2010, 11:59
Who attacked who?!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nyCZvmg9aI
The fishing vessel rammed into the Steve Irwin and one of the fishermen is seen wielding a knife tight to a bamboo stick.
So you are all debating that the Sea Shepherd crew cannot take the law in their hands... but the fishermen can?! Oh that's right, the fishermen are "protecting their own property".
Yes the nets are their property, but what's inside is not exclusively theirs, especially if caught illegaly after the season was closed. The geographical position of the Cesare Rustico + the fact that during the last 3 days of the season, the weather made it impossible to catch any fish suggest that the catch was an illegal one.
Sea Shepherd, although supporting a complete ban for a season or 2, would not interfere with legal catches. In fact their work started only once the season was closed.
Tanja Cilia
Jun 20th 2010, 11:12
Re "inspect the catch".... is there any difference in how legally-caught and illegally-caught tuna look, such as one nicks the ears of neutered cats? Or were they looking for an ill fish that would have been the equivalent of a rotten apple in the casket?
David Caruana
Jun 20th 2010, 08:54
If the season is closed, what are the fishing boats doing out there anyway?!?!
It seems that everyone is missing this point and it seems that the AFM won't intervene now that the season is closed.
reno calleja
Jun 20th 2010, 01:05
in 1978, that is 32 years ago, while i was an M.P. in the Council of Europe, I was assigned to write a report on the Protection of the lving resources of the Mediterranean Sea.
Even back then, I had warned of overfishing in the our seas.
The Council had prepared a report on the Protection of the living resources of the Seas.
I insisted that a report should specifically be drawn on the Mediterranean sea, because i felt that overfishing in the Mediterranean should be stopped. My suggestion was accepted and I was assigned to prepare the report.
For any years many M.P.s in the Council referred to it.
True, Malta is earning millions from the Tuna industry. Our fishermen insist they are respecting the law and restrictions laid down by the EU.
On the other had one has to understand the holy zeal that motivates organisations like green peace to disrupt the tuna fishing. They genuinely believe that if a total ban on Tuna fishing is not imposed for a number of years, the Tuna will become extinct.
Joseph Micallef
Jun 19th 2010, 19:37
I see you want your work to be done for you as well. How about explaining what this means "...even though the our crew had merely..."!? ...And similar blunders?
victor vella
Jun 19th 2010, 19:25
If this is the whole truth , I can only say that it serves them right, they shoulld have never flew a craft in the Libyan airspace without identifying thensleves and also how can they attack fisherman without expecting retaliation?This has to stop let our Army protect the fishermen.
A Zammit
Jun 21st 2010, 09:35
Yes, protect the fishermen who insist on breaking the law and most of all continue to deplete and destroy the few remaining tuna. Never ending greed. Never mind the survival of the environment, fish, animlas, birds etc... Money is god and some people will do just anything for it.
john borh
Jun 19th 2010, 18:31
if the fishermen are facing them every day .....it is obvious they will try to damage them in a way " they will never return"
Denis Catania
Jun 19th 2010, 17:12
The crews of the group Sea Sheppard should be treated as Pirates and must be attacked before they cause damage. If violence has to be used, so let it be, since the governments are not stepping in to stop these criminals. With activist like these people, it just make me want to go and eat tuna fish today. Matter of fact I'm going to make me a triple decker tuna fish sandwich. Fisherman of the world, we are behind you. When you act in a legal manner.
Joseph Cauchi
Jun 19th 2010, 15:45
Q: What is the modern day version of PIRACY?
A: GREENPEACE and SEA SHEPHERD.
JC.
malcolm seychell
Jun 19th 2010, 15:33
This is piracy. Ngos are not gods gift to humanity.
They have to respect the laws or else the fishermen should do what needs to be done.
J.Grech
Jun 20th 2010, 12:55
Last week i saw the Steve Irwin ship berthed at the Grand Harbour next to the old landing place, and it had pirate skull graphics painted on its hull and upper deck...........
Joe Brincat
Jun 21st 2010, 17:18
oh come off your antics Malcolm! If you want to continue enjoying your grilled tuna steak, support sea shephard, otherwise the greedy maltese fishing industry will purse seine tuna into extinction and all this to satiate Mr Toyota !
James Dimech
Jun 19th 2010, 15:31
If we all had to take the law in our own hands and act like this whenever we think that our cause is the right one we will have havoc..!
David Farrugia
Jun 19th 2010, 15:00
Flares?? I'd have given them RPG's!!!
oliver mallia
Jun 19th 2010, 14:53
What goes around comes around. Tilab bin-nar tinharaq
S. Demicoli
Jun 19th 2010, 14:39
The environmental freaks went out looking for trouble so they deserve all they get (even though their statements have to be taken with a generous pinch of salt, to say the least).
Pity they didn't get enough of a deterrent as they will probably return to trouble Maltese fishermen again as soon as they're out of Libyan waters.
The longer the Maltese authorities take to issue an international arrest warrant for the so-called Sea Sheperd captain and crew, the more time they will have on their hands to harass Maltese fishermen and the more likely that someone else will get hurt
j.psaila
Jun 19th 2010, 14:23
You see this situation will occur over and over again.
Well I don't condone the firing of flares but I definitely won't condemn it. Who wouldn't have done the same after that incident.
Ernest Vella
Jun 19th 2010, 14:21
Who do they think they are to make inspections...this is abuse of power from so called enviromental fundies....this is piracy and someone must act to stop these people...The Maltese Goverment must safeguard the Maltese interest and not let such people enter into our ports...Were where this people when refugees were travelling from Libya to Malta...something smells here!!!
M.Caruana
Jun 19th 2010, 14:12
Will the Maltese authorities defend their citizens from violent Greenpeace activists? It is high time that the Canale 2010 training is tried out in defense of our fishermen and against these aggressive pirates. Otherwise what's the point of doing the training.
"do whatever you can to damage them so they will never return."
They are trying to sink their boats and drown our citizens. Will our government react? Will it issue an arrest warrant and ask Libya for its support so that our soldiers can go into Libyan waters and defend our citizens?