This is the second foreign fishing-boat to be intercepted by the AFM in the space of a few days, after they had netted the Italian-registered Europa M last Thursday. The Italian fishermen were fined Lm16,667 after pleading guilty to the offence.
The Alexander K was escorted into Grand Harbour, where it berthed at 5.20am yesterday morning.
The non-English speaking crew are being investigated for allegedly breaching the 25-mile Maltese conservation area, within which no foreign fishing vessel is allowed to fish.
An Armed Forces of Malta press statement said that Patrol-boat P-51 intercepted the Cypriot boat while on a search mission for illegal immigrants at sea. The immigrants had been sighted by a Maltese fishing vessel, some 22 nautical miles off Delimara Point.
The AFM operation was conducted by the Protector-class patrol-boat’s boarding-party on board a rigid-hull dinghy.
Personnel from the 2nd Regiment’s Maritime Squadron apprehended the Cypriot crew as they started hauling back in their fishing gear, having secured video and photographic evidence. Evidence was also obtained from the Cypriot-vessel’s electronic navigation equipment.
The fishing-boat, crew and catch were handed over to the Police and senior Fisheries’ Protection officers from the Fisheries Department.
In terms of agreements with the European Union, fishing within the 25-mile limit requires a licence.
Italian boat
The six Italian fishermen caught lowering nets within the 25-mile conservation zone last Thursday have been fined Lm16,657.
The crew of the 28-metre trawler Europa MV, registered at Molfetta di Bari, was caught breaching European and Maltese laws when it was spotted about 18.5 nautical miles northwest of Gozo.
Upon boarding the vessel, which had its nets lowered in the sea, a party from an Armed Forces of Malta patrol boat found about eight crates of fish, a spokesman said. The Italian boat was escorted to Grand Harbour and berthed in Barriera Wharf, next to the Fisheries Directorate.
In terms of the provisions of the Fisheries Conservation and Managing Act, the Director of Fisheries accused skipper Leone Gassi and his crew of breaching the law that lays down that foreign fishing vessels are banned from fishing in a 25-mile conservation area unless authorised.
The Italians pleaded guilty and were ordered to pay Lm16,667 (around _40,000), a third of the maximum penalty (Lm50,000) that the fishermen would have had to pay if found guilty in court. The crates of fish found on the trawler were also confiscated.
Had the fishermen pleaded not guilty, the matter would have been taken to court, where they would have risked a maximum fine and having their vessel confiscated, which could have meant an expense of some Lm300,000 to the fishermen. The fishermen have 30 days in which to pay the fine or lodge a bank guarantee equivalent to _40,000 with the Fisheries Conservation and Control Division. The boat will be held in the meantime.
The 25-mile zone is covered by Maltese law and by an EU council regulation (Waters around Malta), endorsed by the Council of Ministers last April.
The new EU council regulation enhances the importance of conserving fish stocks within the 25-mile zone. Therefore, all fishing vessels are required to have the necessary authorisation and licence to fish therein.