NATION : Satellite Spots Illegal Fishing
A new satellite monitoring system appears to be succeeding in monitoring illegal fishing and assisted in the apprehension of Japanese fishing illegally in the north Pacific Ocean, officials said today.
The U.S. Coast Guard on Wednesday found 12.5 tons of apparently illegal salmon in the freezer holds of the Daian Maru No. 65, one of six Japanese fishing boats located 30 miles outside the squid fishing boundary by a satellite, officials said.
The vessels were detained by the Coast Guard and transferred to the custody of a Japanese patrol vessel, accused of violating provisions of the International North Pacific Fisheries Convention, the U.S./Japanese Driftnet Agreement and Japanese domestic squid fishing regulations.
The new satellite system has been in use since May following agreements requiring satellite transmitters aboard certain fishing vessels.
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