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AbyssiniaLady
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Shedding a light on intruders at sea

Post by AbyssiniaLady » 05 Jun 2020, 12:26

Shedding a light on intruders at sea
By Dyhia Belhabib| March 11th, 2020|Partner, Research and analysis


Dyhia is a Principal Investigator of Fisheries at Ecotrust Canada.

The social, economic, and human toll of illegal fishing

Illegal fishing drains fish resources from the waters of both poor and rich countries. Over $23 billion US are lost every year to illegal fishing. It is estimated that one in every four fish we consume is caught illegally. The ocean is heavily impacted as fish stocks are exploited to the extent at which their recovery is seriously jeopardized. Socially, illegal fishing can have dire effects as well: illegal fishing by industrial vessels often outcompetes small-scale fishers in highly vulnerable areas traditionally reliant on fishing for their livelihoods and as a source of protein.


In West Africa, for example, IUU fishing takes away 300,000 jobs from coastal communities, and causes over $2 billion US in economic losses every year. Beyond its social, environmental, and economic footprint, illegal fishing in the form of incursions into areas that are closed to large-scale fishing results in increased conflict with small-scale operators, which often results in collisions at sea, and death. In West Africa alone, nearly 250 people die every year in such collisions, a heavy toll for communities reliant on fish for their survival. These incursions not only generate conflict and deaths, they also threaten the entire traditional fabric of fishing, which in turn can have severe long term repercussions on communities. As a researcher on African fisheries, I have repeatedly heard stories about the loss of loved ones at sea, sightings of vessels the size of football fields nearshore, and continuously dwindling fish stocks with these vessels pointed at as the primary cause of such a trend.

Other than anecdotal evidence, consistent information on incursion-related incidents is scarce and my study relied solely on government reporting and sanctioning of such cases. However, given that African countries lack proper monitoring systems and/or capacity, this information was barely available, or even reliable, as a good representation of the extent of the issue.


Identifying and assessing the extent of incursions

In a paper published recently in Fish and Fisheries, my team and I use automatic identification system (AIS) data derived from satellite technology and made available through Global Fishing Watch to overlap fishing operation tracks – a typical footprint of a vessel while fishing, with an area that was identified as being reserved strictly or at least partially to the small-scale fishing sector. Looking into 33 African countries around the continent, we found that 30 of these countries have designated areas specially for the exclusive or semi-exclusive use of their small-scale fishing sector, in an effort to protect fish nurseries, maintain the livelihood and food security of local communities, and reduce inter-sectoral conflicts between small-scale and large-scale, often foreign, sector. Among these countries, 24 had completely banned industrial fishing within a portion of their waters. These areas were called areas of complete restriction. We also identified areas of partial prohibition, where gear and flag restrictions existed in four countries.

The extent of the issue

Looking into satellite information and fishing tracks, or patterns identified by the Global Fishing Watch algorithm as fishing, any overlap with the areas of restriction was deemed to be an incursion. We analyzed over 4.2 million fishing hours within these countries spent by nearly 1,400 industrial vessels, 42% of which have fished in an inshore area of at least one African country.

We identified that vessels spent nearly 167,000 hours fishing within inshore zones subject to prohibition, which would translate into an average of nearly 70 fishing days annually per country. In reality, incursions were higher in more vulnerable countries, regardless of the level of the fishing effort. In Somalia for example, 94% of all industrial fishing effort (broadcasting AIS) was within the area strictly reserved to the small-scale sector. More intriguingly, we found that vessels flagged to African states, particularly those flagged to Ghana, spent the most time fishing in prohibited zones. The EU ranked third after South Korea, followed by vessels flagged to so-called “flag of convenience” countries, and then China with 2% of their fishing effort concentrated within prohibited zones.

Ending incursions by industrial vessels

There is no easy solution to curb illegal fishing, incursions in particular, in a context where monitoring, control, and surveillance is limited through the lack of human and financial resources. Incursions constitute 20% of all observed and sanctioned fisheries related offences in Africa according to Spyglass.fish. In turn, these 20% are linked to most deaths at sea, and increased competition over dwindling fish stocks, most of which are experiencing over-exploitation according to a recent study. If AIS is used along with considerations of political and legal contexts in the region, such as the compulsory use of AIS and its constant broadcasting, it can enable more targeted action, through monitoring, and effective mapping and surveillance of industrial activities. Technology and proper deployment of human capacity and intel could reveal key in curving illegal fishing.

https://globalfishingwatch.org/research ... rs-at-sea/

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Re: Shedding a light on intruders at sea

Post by AbyssiniaLady » 05 Jun 2020, 13:14

What is AIS?

AIS (Automatic Identification System) is a system that transmits a ship’s position so that other ships are aware of its position, to avoid collision. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) mandates the use of AIS in vessels larger than 300 gross tonnes that travel internationally.

AIS devices broadcast the location of a vessel along with other information, including identity, course and speed. Ground stations and satellites pick up this information, meaning a ship’s movements can be followed even in the most remote parts of the ocean.


Hundreds of thousands of European & far east asia countries fishing vessels broadcasting AIS in central Somalia territorial waters, from May to June 2020, they are very close to the shoreline.


With advances in information technology, It's becoming possible and too easy to unmask European and Asian thieves in Somalia exclusive economic zone.

The West is rich because it stole it from the poorer countries like Somalia.



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Re: Shedding a light on intruders at sea

Post by AbyssiniaLady » 07 Jun 2020, 17:15

This tweet is an insult to Somals intelligence.



European fishing bandits say we are monitoring Illegal fishing activities off the Somali coast, but the reality is they are very much engaged in the exploitation of Somalia abundant marine resources in the Somali waters, Italy sent warships and helicopters in support of her fishing trawlers in Somalis sea, not helping Somalia!!




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Re: Shedding a light on intruders at sea

Post by AbyssiniaLady » 08 Jun 2020, 16:08




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Re: Shedding a light on intruders at sea

Post by AbyssiniaLady » 08 Jun 2020, 17:42

Liars.





An investigation by France state television broadcaster into the use of fads (fish aggregating devices) to catch juvenile yellowfin tuna fish in Somali waters, aimed to highlight the dark side of the fishing industry and how France & Spain fishing fleets illegally plundering Somalia marine treasure to consumers, It's estimated that there are now tens of thousands fad deployments in Somali waters and the data presented shows that vessels owned by Spain & France companies are responsible for eighty percent of the fads found in Somali waters.

French tv cash investigation december 2019.


What is a Fish Aggregating Device?



FADs are drifting or anchored buoys or rafts that attract and aggregate pelagic fish, making them easier to find and catch. Fishers have long known that fish congregate around naturally occurring floating objects such as logs or a dead whale and that by mimicking this effect fish aggregation could be exploited.

FADs do not increase the abundance of fish, but only redistribute them into a smaller area. It is also important to note that drifting FADs and anchored FADs have quite different uses, impacts, and management concerns.Today there are thousands of FADs in use worldwide for industrial handline, purse seine, and pole and line fisheries. There are three basic designs for anchored FADs – the spar buoy and the Indian Ocean FAD as well as the far more common artisanal FADs made from local materials such as bamboo and coconut fronds.

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Re: Shedding a light on intruders at sea

Post by AbyssiniaLady » 11 Jun 2020, 20:32

Police name 2 suspects linked to death of Indonesian sailor on Chinese fishing vessel
May 21, 2020published at 8:31 AMThe Jakarta Post/Asia News Network





The National Police’s human trafficking task force has named two suspects in a case of alleged mistreatment leading to the of an Indonesian crewman aboard Chinese fishing vessel Lu Qing Yuan Yu 623.

“The Central Java Police’s human trafficking task force has named two [employees] working in a company that sent the crewman [to China] as suspects in the case,” said National Police general crimes unit head Brig. Gen. Ferdy Sambo on Tuesday, as quoted by kompas.com.

He, however, declined to disclose any further details about the suspects or the case other than to say that the case was being handled by the Central Java Police under the supervision of the National Police’s task force because the company was located in Tegal.

The case emerged after a video purportedly showing a group of sailors on the Lu Qing Yuan Yu 623 throwing the body of an Indonesian crewman into the sea was shared on Facebook by user Suwarno Cano Swe earlier this month.

Tribunnews.com reported that three clips, each 29 seconds long, purportedly show a crewman of the ship experiencing torture that eventually led to his death.

It was also alleged that the deceased had been a victim of slavery.

According to the chronology confirmed by the Foreign Ministry, the Indonesian crewman – identified only by his initial H – died on Jan 16 when the ship was in Somalian waters.

The ministry, however, did not obtain further details regarding the cause of death.

H’s body was reportedly thrown into the sea on Jan 23.

The Indonesian-based placement company, identified only as MTB, claimed it had reported the death to the Foreign Ministry, the Manpower Ministry and the Agency for the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (BNP2TKI).

The Foreign Ministry later found out that this claim was untrue, as it had only received the news of the death on May 8 following a report.

The company had also not reported the incident either to an Indonesian overseas mission or local authorities in Somalia.

“We obtained information from the Transportation Ministry and Manpower Ministry that PT MTB isn’t registered nor does it hold a permit to place Indonesian crewmen abroad,” said Foreign Ministry director for citizen protection Judha Nugraha.

Apart from informing H’s relatives and ensuring the deceased’s rights, Judha added that the ministry had coordinated with the Indonesian Embassy in Beijing to send a diplomatic note to the Chinese Foreign Ministry requesting that the latter investigate the incident and determine the condition of other crewmen aboard Chinese fishing vessels.

The case is not the first report of alleged exploitation faced by Indonesian sailors aboard Chinese fishing vessels.

Earlier this month, there was public outrage at the death of four Indonesian sailors aboard another Chinese fishing ship. The crewmen had allegedly been subject to exploitation and had died after enduring poor working conditions.

The Chinese Embassy in Jakarta issued a statement on Wednesday that “a comprehensive investigation has been ongoing”, stopping short of mentioning which case it was investigating.
https://www.asiaone.com/asia/police-nam ... ese-vessel

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Re: Shedding a light on intruders at sea

Post by AbyssiniaLady » 13 Jun 2020, 17:49

keeping up with the European & Asian bandits.


Spanish armed forces have shared a video of themselves & their fishermen stealing tuna fish from Somalia and as usual another group of Spanish forces bandits armed with machine gun kept the poor Somali fishermen at bay.

These European and Asian thieves are taking an estimated $1 billion worth of fish from Somali waters each year, Somalia is a victim of its own God given marine resources.

Stealing Somalia.


And keeping Somalis at bay.



What makes Somalia coastline unique is the high abundance of large pelagic fish such as tuna, billfishes, lobster, sardines, mackerel, cuttlefish traveling in schools that has attracted global illegal fishing vessels.

French state television images, southern Somalia.


American documentary, northern Somalia

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Re: Shedding a light on intruders at sea

Post by TesfaNews » 13 Jun 2020, 18:51

SHUT UP YOU FILITHY KOMAL AGAME :twisted: :twisted:

AbyssiniaLady
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Re: Shedding a light on intruders at sea

Post by AbyssiniaLady » 13 Jun 2020, 20:35

The middle eastern countries are not that far behind in the global race for robbing Somalia, they are roaming quietly the seas along northern and northeastern Somalia and looting marine resources from Somalia!!!

UAE fishing vessels.

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Re: Shedding a light on intruders at sea

Post by AbyssiniaLady » 19 Jun 2020, 16:57

OPERATION ATALANTA ESPS NUMANCIA IS INSPECTING UN FAOs FISH AGGREGATING DEVICES TO BOOST LOCAL FISHERIES AND FIGHT UNDERLYING CAUSES OF PIRACY

June 17, 2020 - 10:18



Deploying a Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) along the Somali shore

One of the underlining causes of piracy in Somalia is its very fragile economy. Somalia has the longest coastline in Africa and one of the world most untapped marine resources. The 3300 kms of fertile fishing grounds could be the key to transform the economy of this otherwise arid country. But the infrastructure of the fishing industry is largely underdeveloped making it hard for local fishermen to catch larger fish near their shores. In an effort to turn this situation around, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization with the support of its donors and the protection of the EU, launched an initiative in 2015 to deploy 25 Fish Aggregating Devices (FAD) to attract high value fish to the Somali shores. Besides protection, EU NAVFOR Somalia provided security and logistical support using their equipment and know-how to rightly position these FADs.

“The FADs initiative is at the heart of the work by FAO and our partners to boost coastal livelihoods, strengthen resilience and tackle the underlying causes of piracy – Illegal fishing, degradation of local fisheries, high levels of youth unemployment, and food insecurity,” said Richard Trenchard, former FAO representative in Somalia (2015).


Deploying a Fish Aggregating Device (FAD) along the Somali shore

These FADs attract pelagic fish, which are migrating through the area and bringing them closer to the Somali shores. They are an important tool for the development of sustainable artisan and small-scale commercial fisheries providing food and livelihoods to otherwise vulnerable coastal communities in Somalia. These devices keep the fishermen off the reef thus contributing to the protection of the marine life in the area. The programme helps local communities to involve in sustainable and productive employment creating a viable alternative to piracy activities. Michele Cervone d’Urso, the European Union Head of Delegation and Ambassador to Somalia in 2015 described the FAD programme as a crucial addition to efforts to create employment in Somalia’s piracy-affected areas:

“This is an integrated approach to creating long-term, sustainable employment opportunities to youth and women as alternatives to piracy and migration, by developing the value chains of the fishery and livestock sector within the coastal communities of Puntland, Galmudug and Banadir where traditionally communities have combined seasonal fishing and pastoral activities.The intention behind this initiative is to support local fishermen so they don’t have to travel into deep-water to catch high value fish anymore avoiding that every year thousands of fishers are lost at sea because of adverse weather, vessel breakdown, and/or human error. Fishing around anchored FADs is safer than fishing in the open sea, as rescue teams will know where to start a search, if someone goes missing. A boat that loses power may tie off to a FAD and wait for rescue, but usually there is more than one boat fishing at a FAD so help will be right there.

FADs that break from their moorings are a form of marine debris and pose a threat to navigation safety and the marine environment. Regular monitoring and maintenance along with fisher training and public awareness campaigns lessen the impact that FADs have on the environment.

As position is key in ensuring the sustainability of FADS, EU NAVFOR Atalanta was commissioned to monitor the programme. ESPS Numancia is currently inspecting the location and condition of the FADs to ensure its sustainable use and to secure the waters off the coast of Somalia.

https://eunavfor.eu/operation-atalanta- ... -of-piracy

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Re: Shedding a light on intruders at sea

Post by AbyssiniaLady » 19 Jun 2020, 19:15

Kenyan Fishermen Want Government To Open Up Somali Border

1 week ago thecoast


One of the fishermen in Lamu county. Image; ZUBEIR ATHMAN

By ZUBEIR ATHMAN

Email: [email protected]

Lamu fishermen and ice block dealers are pleading with the state to open up the Kenya-Somalia border.
In June, 2019, the Kenyan Government announced to have shut down its border with Somalia,

Lamu Fishermen and Dealers Association Chairman Abubakar Twalib reiterated that the closure of the Kenya-Somalia border had also weighed heavily on their trade.
Mr Twalib said many fishermen have been forced to quit the trade as it has been performing dismally ever since the ban was imposed.

“We’re appealing to the government to consider us by lifting the ban on Kenya-Somalia border trade. We’re ready to adhere to all set rules provided we’re allowed to go to Somalia to buy both dried and fresh fish so as to supply to our local market,” said Mr Twalib.

We’re really suffering because we’re denied access to the Somali market


One of the fishermen in Lamu County. Image: ZUBEIR ATHMAN




http://thecoast.co.ke/2020/06/12/fisher ... st/2703/15

Kenyan fishermens are struggling to survive because it’s getting harder and harder to find fish in Kenya 110,000 km² Exclusive Economic Zone waters.

Kenya needs now Somalia more than Somalia needs Kenya!!

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Re: Shedding a light on intruders at sea

Post by AbyssiniaLady » 19 Jun 2020, 19:29

Somalia border in Lamu to be reopened for trade

Official says plans are underway to allow fishermen and a few traders carry on with their various trades though the ban remains in place.

Says he met numerous fishermen and affected traders over their plight on the effects of the border closure on their trade.

The national government is set to partly reopen the Kenya-Somalia border in Lamu to allow fishermen and traders whose livelihoods were hurt the by closure to resume business.

For the longest time, Lamu fishermen have conducted their fishing editions inside Somali waters while the war-torn country remains their best market.

Fish mongers are known to purchase both fresh and dry fish from Mogadishu and Kismayu port cities and sell as far as Mombasa and Nairobi.

In April, the government torched 12 tonnes of dry fish worth over Sh5 million after they were siezed while being smuggled from Somalia to Mombasa via the Kiunga border point in Lamu.

https://www.the-star.co.ke/counties/coa ... -for-trade

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Re: Shedding a light on intruders at sea

Post by AbyssiniaLady » 21 Jun 2020, 18:37



It's a decade old news but interesting, the world’s biggest fish. A female whale shark caught in fishing net was satellite tagged successfully near the western coasts of Gujarat to allow researchers learn more about the migration route and habits of the vulnerable species.

This is the second time that a whale shark has been tagged in India, the WTI researcher who analysed the satellite data which remained operational for the whole year, revealed that these animal had travelled all the way to Somalia and never returned to the India coast,

Their movements were confined to the northern and southern Somali waters due to relatively better availability of food and conducive breeding conditions there, whale sharks consume plankton which includes copepods, krill and fish eggs which is abundant in the Somali waters..

Who can blame the whale shark? Somalia has arguably the most unspoiled coastline in the world, India is the dirtiest country in the world, its sea and river water are known to contain fecal coliform bacteria, According to the times of india newspaper, Mumbai alone dumps 2,100 million litres of solid human waste in sea daily & most other big cities in India release huge amounts of untreated sewage into the sea.

2,100 million litres of solid human waste turns Mumbai water this colour, sea full of rubbish.




This whale shark is why Somalia is now a magnet for huge commercial whale hunting ships from Japan.

Seaman videos.




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Re: Shedding a light on intruders at sea

Post by Degnet » 21 Jun 2020, 18:39

AbyssiniaLady wrote:
05 Jun 2020, 12:26
Shedding a light on intruders at sea
By Dyhia Belhabib| March 11th, 2020|Partner, Research and analysis


Dyhia is a Principal Investigator of Fisheries at Ecotrust Canada.

The social, economic, and human toll of illegal fishing

Illegal fishing drains fish resources from the waters of both poor and rich countries. Over $23 billion US are lost every year to illegal fishing. It is estimated that one in every four fish we consume is caught illegally. The ocean is heavily impacted as fish stocks are exploited to the extent at which their recovery is seriously jeopardized. Socially, illegal fishing can have dire effects as well: illegal fishing by industrial vessels often outcompetes small-scale fishers in highly vulnerable areas traditionally reliant on fishing for their livelihoods and as a source of protein.


In West Africa, for example, IUU fishing takes away 300,000 jobs from coastal communities, and causes over $2 billion US in economic losses every year. Beyond its social, environmental, and economic footprint, illegal fishing in the form of incursions into areas that are closed to large-scale fishing results in increased conflict with small-scale operators, which often results in collisions at sea, and death. In West Africa alone, nearly 250 people die every year in such collisions, a heavy toll for communities reliant on fish for their survival. These incursions not only generate conflict and deaths, they also threaten the entire traditional fabric of fishing, which in turn can have severe long term repercussions on communities. As a researcher on African fisheries, I have repeatedly heard stories about the loss of loved ones at sea, sightings of vessels the size of football fields nearshore, and continuously dwindling fish stocks with these vessels pointed at as the primary cause of such a trend.

Other than anecdotal evidence, consistent information on incursion-related incidents is scarce and my study relied solely on government reporting and sanctioning of such cases. However, given that African countries lack proper monitoring systems and/or capacity, this information was barely available, or even reliable, as a good representation of the extent of the issue.


Identifying and assessing the extent of incursions

In a paper published recently in Fish and Fisheries, my team and I use automatic identification system (AIS) data derived from satellite technology and made available through Global Fishing Watch to overlap fishing operation tracks – a typical footprint of a vessel while fishing, with an area that was identified as being reserved strictly or at least partially to the small-scale fishing sector. Looking into 33 African countries around the continent, we found that 30 of these countries have designated areas specially for the exclusive or semi-exclusive use of their small-scale fishing sector, in an effort to protect fish nurseries, maintain the livelihood and food security of local communities, and reduce inter-sectoral conflicts between small-scale and large-scale, often foreign, sector. Among these countries, 24 had completely banned industrial fishing within a portion of their waters. These areas were called areas of complete restriction. We also identified areas of partial prohibition, where gear and flag restrictions existed in four countries.

The extent of the issue

Looking into satellite information and fishing tracks, or patterns identified by the Global Fishing Watch algorithm as fishing, any overlap with the areas of restriction was deemed to be an incursion. We analyzed over 4.2 million fishing hours within these countries spent by nearly 1,400 industrial vessels, 42% of which have fished in an inshore area of at least one African country.

We identified that vessels spent nearly 167,000 hours fishing within inshore zones subject to prohibition, which would translate into an average of nearly 70 fishing days annually per country. In reality, incursions were higher in more vulnerable countries, regardless of the level of the fishing effort. In Somalia for example, 94% of all industrial fishing effort (broadcasting AIS) was within the area strictly reserved to the small-scale sector. More intriguingly, we found that vessels flagged to African states, particularly those flagged to Ghana, spent the most time fishing in prohibited zones. The EU ranked third after South Korea, followed by vessels flagged to so-called “flag of convenience” countries, and then China with 2% of their fishing effort concentrated within prohibited zones.

Ending incursions by industrial vessels

There is no easy solution to curb illegal fishing, incursions in particular, in a context where monitoring, control, and surveillance is limited through the lack of human and financial resources. Incursions constitute 20% of all observed and sanctioned fisheries related offences in Africa according to Spyglass.fish. In turn, these 20% are linked to most deaths at sea, and increased competition over dwindling fish stocks, most of which are experiencing over-exploitation according to a recent study. If AIS is used along with considerations of political and legal contexts in the region, such as the compulsory use of AIS and its constant broadcasting, it can enable more targeted action, through monitoring, and effective mapping and surveillance of industrial activities. Technology and proper deployment of human capacity and intel could reveal key in curving illegal fishing.

https://globalfishingwatch.org/research ... rs-at-sea/
Shut up you idiot.I am black,proud,Abyssinian.

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Re: Shedding a light on intruders at sea

Post by AbyssiniaLady » 23 Jun 2020, 18:28

Amid rising tensions, Canadians lobster exports to China hit another roadblock

It's the 2nd major disruption this week for the $457M export market

Paul Withers · CBC News · Posted: Jun 19, 2020 4:12 PM AT | Last Updated: June 19


Freshly caught lobsters are pictured. (CBC)

Canadian businesses that export lobster to China have run into another border roadblock.

On Friday, Chinese importers started demanding a signed declaration that Canadian live and processed lobster is free of COVID-19 before it can enter China.

"It's a bold thing to ask and we as Canadian exporters should push back," says Stewart Lamont of Tangier Lobster in Nova Scotia.

His company flies lobster to mainland China.

Lamont has refused to sign the declaration, which makes Canadian companies liable in the Chinese court system if there is a problem.

"It's the assumption of the risk issue which concerns me. I'm very confident we are shipping non-COVID-19 product," he said.

"I really don't want to be subject to the whims of the Chinese court system. There are two Michaels in jail in mainland China who could speak to that better than I can."

The latest impediment

The financial stakes are high in Atlantic Canada.

Last year, companies — mostly in Nova Scotia — shipped live lobster worth $457 million to China.

This is the second major disruption in one week.

Chinese authorities started doing random testing for COVID-19 on imported food, including lobster, after a recent outbreak was traced to a cutting board used for salmon at a market in Beijing.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-sco ... -1.5619561

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Re: Shedding a light on intruders at sea

Post by AbyssiniaLady » 23 Jun 2020, 19:23

Meanwhile, According to the One Earth Future Foundation, Spanish mega vessels alone illegally catch more than 20,000 tonnes of lobsters annually in Somali waters, I can only imagine how many tonnes of lobster China stole from Somalia every year, they are literally taking the food out of Somali children mouths!!

Somali sea has an abundant supply of lobsters.




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Re: Shedding a light on intruders at sea

Post by AbyssiniaLady » 24 Jun 2020, 16:06

Fang Jinxing, a 22-year-old sailor on a Chinese escort ship, said his memories of the Somali waters will be dominated by the experience of watching dolphins at play.




Sometimes there were hundreds of them, jumping and curving over the surface of the water. It was like a big show, except it only lasted for few seconds," he said. "I've seen plenty of turtles and seals too, but the dolphins are my favorites

Living alongside more than 200 sailors and officers on an escort ship means space is at a premium. You can hardly stretch your arm without touching something, said Fang. He shares a small cabin with five other members of the crew. If you want fresh air, you have to climb out of the sardine-can cabin and get out onto the upper deck, which is usually covered with yellow dust blown in from the deserts on shore.

(Video Northern Somali waters June 7, 2020, Somalia needs to protect its marine life and environment at all costs)



Fang admitted that he didn't do well in the gaokao, China's national university entrance exam, four years ago, so his father sent him to join the navy. "My family is proud of me and I'm proud of myself too," he said. "It's not easy serving in the navy and only good sailors are chosen for escort deployment."

In a couple of years, he will return to his small hometown in the northeastern province of Jilin, and open a business. "I've learned a lot in the navy," he said. "I've visited more countries and experienced much more than my high school friends who didn't join the military."

The escort ship only anchors at a port once every month during its seven-month cruise and when it's out in deep water, the days are long and slow. Fang usually kills time by working out and reading. By the time he visited the Peace Ark for hernia surgery, he had just finished his third book of this deployment, On the Road by Jack Kerouac. "Still, sometimes when I feel the days are dragging, I go to the wheelhouse. It has the best view for watching the dolphins.



In 2009 A pod of dolphins flank a ship in the Somali waters. Chinese reports have said dolphins managed to thwart a pirate attack on Chinese ships.

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