A Greenpeace activist who was beaten by fishermen as she tried to board two tuna support vessels will not be pressing charges. Australian Emma Briggs was pulled by the hair, punched and thrown overboard by a group of fishermen on the Spanish boat Cabo Tinoso Dos during a protest against unsustainable fishing activities on Monday.
She later tried to get on the Maltese boat Santina, which was moored next to the Spanish boat, but was again beaten off by fishermen, a video released by the environmental activist group showed.
The 39-year-old, who suffered a black eye and bruises to her neck and head, decided not to press charges against the fishermen, Greenpeace international oceans campaigner François Provost said, without giving a reason.
The group of activists - who arrived in Malta on the Greenpeace boat Rainbow Warrior, which is expected to leave for Majorca this morning - used two dinghies to block the two boats as they were about to leave their mooring spot at Ras Ħanżir. The two support vessels were being used by Ricardo Fuentes e Hijos, a major Spanish tuna ranching company that is responsible for about 60 per cent of Mediterranean blue fin tuna production.
The activists wanted to carry out an inspection on the boats to check whether they were involved in any illegal bluefin tuna fishing. An inspection by the Fisheries Control Division after the police had brought the situation under control did not uncover any illegal stocks of bluefin tuna, which might be depleted within three years if overfishing continues.
"We never said we were 100 per cent sure there was tuna on board," Mr Provost said when contacted yesterday. However, he questioned why the fishermen "were violent" if they had nothing to hide.
The secretary of the Federation of Maltese Aquaculture Producers, John Refalo said that, by trying to board the vessels, the activists caused "potential danger to themselves, the crew of the vessels and other users of Grand Harbour".
Dr Refalo said the crew "exercised all due restraint" and requested the intervention of Maltese security personnel. The video released by Greenpeace showed the fishermen hitting Ms Briggs as soon as she tried to board.
"The federation strongly deplores this irresponsible incident, which could easily have had more serious consequences," Dr Refalo said, adding that, while protesting was allowed, there were limits that had to be respected.
"Nobody has the right to gain access to a ship or other property except with the permission of the master or according to law. By attempting to board the vessels against the wishes of the masters, the individuals concerned acted in breach of Maltese law and rendered themselves liable to prosecution," he said. It could not be ascertained yesterday whether the company will be pressing charges against the Greenpeace activists.