Tag: fishing vessels

They took them for ransom Pirates looted over 85 fishing trawlers and abducted at least 75 fishermen along with 10 trawlers for ransom in the Bay off Barguna and Bagerhat coasts yesterday and the day before.Patharghata Upazila Matsyajibi Samity leaders quoting victims, who returned to Patharghata escaping from pirates' attack, said members of infamous ''Raju Bahini" swooped on 25 trawlers which were fishing in the Bay, 15 kilometers south of Fairway Boya in the upazila.The pirates looted money, fish, fishing nets, mobile phone sets, radio and other valuables at gun point and left the area abducting 75 fishermen for ransom along with 10 fishing trawlers early Tuesday.In a separate incident, pirates swooped on 50 fishing trawlers which were fishing near coasts of Bedarhali and Nishan Baria areas of Rayenda upazila in Bagerhat yesterday.They looted the trawlers and kidnapped several fishermen at gun point.Barguna Trawler Workers Union president Abdul Mannan Majhi confirmed that the members of Raju, Motaleb and Al Amin gangs committed robbery in over 85 trawlers from early Tuesday to early Wednesday and kidnapped 75 fishermen and took them along with 10 fishing trawlers and took them to their hideouts for ransom.Source: The Daily Star

Crews faced physical and sexual abuse aboard vessels New Zealand announced an inquiry Tuesday into allegations that foreign fishing crews operating in its waters faced physical and sexual abuse aboard vessels likened to "slave ships".The government said it had ordered a "comprehensive" probe into the claims surrounding foreign flagged vessels chartered by New Zealand companies to fish in the country's vast exclusive economic zone (EEZ)."We must ensure the use of all fishing vessels operating in EEZ waters supports government objectives," Fisheries Minister Phil Heatley said."This includes protecting New Zealand?s international reputation as a world-leading fisheries manager."An Auckland University report released earlier this month alleged widespread human rights abuses of crew members, predominantly Indonesian, on foreign chartered vessels.The Maritime Union of New Zealand, which has long accused the government of turning a blind eye to the treatment of foreign crews, said the investigation was long overdue."This inquiry will need to shine a light into dark places... but we know in advance that it will confirm what we already know, that disgraceful practices have become the norm and accepted by the industry," union secretary Joe Fleetwood said.The Auckland University report said about 30 foreign-owned vessels operated in New Zealand waters, crewed by ...

It had suffered a total power loss The 25 meter long, 250 gt fishing vessel Jean Ricciardi became disabled and later sank near the port of Sete, France.The Jean Ricciardi had suffered a total power loss in the middle of the night. This left the Ricciardi without lights and adrift.It kept drifting until it was aground under the cliffs near the harbour.A merchant vessel who caught sight of the Ricciardi contacted authorities. The merchant ship took the 2 crew on board who had been in the Ricciardi's liferaft.A lifeboat was dispatched and freed the fishing vessel.The Ricciardi was taken under tow and headed for Sete.Just 800 meters from the harbour entrance, the Jean Ricciardi sank by the stern.Reports state the fishing vessel's hull was severely damaged from the grounding. This allowed siginificant water ingress and the vessel was heeling.Without pumps, the fishing vessel flooded and then sank. The Jean Ricciardi now rests in 17 meters of water. No reports of injuries. No details on any pollution or salvage plans.Source: Shipwrecklog

They put the blame on the government Amidst a shower of rose petals, loud cheering and applause, five fishermen, who had been stranded in India for almost four months, were welcomed by their families when they returned home on Monday night.The five, Sajjad and Auragzeb from Karachi, Farhad Rind Baloch and Lal Bux from Kakrand, district Thatta, and Mohammad Umair from Mirpurkhas, came home after seven months - the first three spent in the captivity of the Somali pirates and the later in the custody of Indian police officials.Dozens of people, many of them belonging to the native villages of the sailors in interior Sindh, thronged the Karachi Airport to receive the men, who came home after spending nearly four months at the Yellow Gate police station in Mumbai.A delighted Sajjad Hussain speaking to The News had all praise for the Indian government. "It was the Indian Navy which rescued us, the Indian government gave us food and shelter, and the Indian media highlighted our issue."Talking about his ordeal amongst the pirates, Hussain said that the Somalis had captured them in a bid to use them as bait when capturing naval ships. "The pirates had planned to push us forward ...