Soyo - Two vessels belonging to national shipowners were seized on Friday, off the coast of the municipality of Soyo, in the province of Zaire, for using double nets, which are prohibited in artisanal fishing.
The vessels in question were caught by officers from the Northern Naval Region Command of the Angolan Navy (MGA) while trawling, three nautical miles from the coast. On board were two Chinese crew members, 12 national fishermen and 98 boxes of small fish.
The spokesman for the Northern Naval Region Command of the Angolan Navy (MGA), Lieutenant Paulo Kassanga, reported that the two vessels violated Presidential Decree 63/24, of 22 February. He explained that the aforementioned decree defines the type of net to be used in artisanal fishing, and that the two vessels used double nets that allow the capture of small fish, putting the preservation and sustainable management of fishing resources at risk.
He added that the vessels and the fish will be forwarded to the National Fishing and Inspection Service, stressing that this is the second time this year that the two vessels have been caught carrying out this type of fishing, which is prohibited by law.
He assured that the MGA in this part of the country carries out continuous intensive patrolling action throughout Angolan territorial waters, with a view to safeguarding the interests of the State. PMV/JL/TED/jmc
