SPANISH ICEFISH POACHERS FACE €10 MILLION IN FINES

 Operation Icefish is shaping up to have been 100% successful. After the longest pursuit of a poacher in maritime history by the Sea Shepherd ship BOB BARKER, the toothfish poaching ship THUNDER was sunk by her captain off the island nation of Sao Tome. The Sea Shepherd ship SAM SIMON rescued her crew.

Of the six notorious toothfish vessels operating in the Southern Ocean, aside from the sunken THUNDER two were detained by Malaysia, one by Thailand and two were tracked down by Sea Shepherd and seized in Cape Verde.

An now to top it off Operation Sparrow organized by the Spanish police followed up on the fact that Sea Shepherd helped to expose the Spanish company in Galicia behind these illegal operations. They raided the offices of Vidal Armadores, seized 3000 documents, brought administrative sanctions against 50 crew-members, charged the company with 19 serious infringements of maritime law with a possible 600,000 Euro fine on each count.

Vidal Armadores is facing a penalty of 10€ million in addition to the losses they have already experienced, the losses of their ships, their illegal crew, and their investment and loss of profits for 2015.

Well done to the Spanish Police and Operation Sparrow.

 http://economia.elpais.com/economia/2015/06/19/actualidad/1434738062_356974.html