ASCENSION ISLANDERS TAKE ACTION AGAINST POACHERS

By J. Brock (SARTMA)

People living on Ascension Island have taken decisive action against the three poaching vessels that have been illegally fishing in the Island’s waters.  Irate volunteers and officials have recovered fishing line, hooks and tackle from 500 metres offshore.  Green Turtles had been found ensnared in the hooks, lines and buoys and this prompted further action.

The incident began on Thursday, 29^th of January when a fishing vessel was spotted from shore apparently pulling in long-lines.  Indeed, three vessels were spotted around the Island.  Local fishermen and sports fishermen reporting that lines were being laid even closer to shore followed this.  One fisherman got 10 metres a particular poacher to note its Asian crew and the fact that the vessel’s name had been obscured.  Though the boat moved away, the fisherman managed to bring 500 metres of long-line, hooks and tackle with him to the Police Station.  Another fisherman managed to spot more line 500 metres from shore, where a Green Turtle had been found tangled in lines a few days before.

Continuing the action on Friday, 30^th January, Conservation Officer, Tara George and a Police Officer went to a spot 100 metres from shore and began to pick up lines from a point near White Island to past Boatswainbird Island.  Three Green Turtles were caught in that line.  Fortunately, the turtles survived the ordeal and were released unharmed.

It wasn’t long before a plan of action was established by Government, Military and Civilians and set into motion.  The RAF volunteered a 13-man team to act as onshore spotters at various points on the Island.  A message was continually broadcast to the poacher that he was fishing illegally in Island waters and a volunteer flotilla of five boats went to sea to retrieve the long-lines and free fish and turtles caught in them.

Hopefully the Islanders got away with enough line, equipment and fish to make poaching in Ascension’s Territorial Sea (anything up to 12 miles from shore) and inshore waters (2-miles out) an unprofitable operation.  There is no doubt that the Islanders will be watching out for poachers and at the moment they are seeking more effective methods of warding them off, or catching them and bringing them to account for their thievery.

It is a known fact that appropriate firepower could be in place on the Island at some point in time.  It has been in the past.  This author has seen old gun emplacements that could yield more firepower than the standard Orlon 20mm Gun that many fishery protection vessels use.

One frustrated Councillor thought that a Royal Naval Frigate would be enough to stop the poaching. The Councillor is right.  The Councillor went on to say that approaches had been made to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office – to the appropriate desk - but to no avail.  “We feel that the laid-back approach of the British Government is not acceptable,” said the Councillor, who did not want to be named.

St. Helena – 2-day’s sailing to the south/east – had been selling fishing licences and brought in £1 Million a year.  Now they get nothing but poachers who blatantly steal their resources.  It’s no wonder that people on Ascension don’t want the same thing to happen to them. 

This time there were 5 volunteer boats pulling in the long-liner’s illegal catch.  Chances are that next time there will be more boats cutting and pulling in illegally placed fishing line.