South Georgia Government Gets Tough on Catch Irregularities

SOUTH GEORGIA GOVERNMENT GETS TOUGH ON TOOTHFISH CATCH IRREGULARITIES

By J. Brock (SARTMA)

The Government of South Georgia, responsible for one of the world’s best-managed fisheries, is getting tough on licensed long-liners that are taking away more Toothfish than they are allocated.  The policy of vessels reporting to either King Edward Point in South Georgia or to Stanley in the Falkland Islands is being strictly enforced.

On Wednesday, South Georgia Officials offloaded 19 tonnes of excess processed Toothfish from the Spanish Long-liner, IBSA QUINTO.  On Thursday, it was the turn of ISLA SOPHIA to have her catch verified before heading to her homeport.  Some local fishing companies are not satisfied with this stricter enforcement and local catch verification, saying that catches can be verified in their homeports, like Cape Town, or Montevideo.

Licences for Patagonian Toothfish in South Georgia waters are allocated to a very few vessels for the approximately 5,000 tonnes TAC allotted by CCAMLR prior to the start of the season in May this year.  They are purchased depending on the catching capability of each long-liner.  One that can catch only 200 tonnes will purchase a licence to catch that amount.  IBSA QUINTO purchased a licence for 300 tonnes of Toothfish that would have rendered 171 tonnes of processed product in cartons.

Nineteen tonnes of processed Toothfish could have brought between $150,000.00 and $200,000.00 on the open market for a variety of people had it been offloaded in another port.  Profit for these 19 tonnes goes to the Government of South Georgia.  Getting tough, in this instance, really does pay off.

The Photos show King Edward Point, where catch verification can take place.  Also shown is the more tidy Grytviken whaling station, where fishing revenue paid for the clean-up of asbasdos.