London, UK – Fishing cargo vessels operating in pristine Antarctic waters are failing a majority of their safety inspections, Greenpeace International analysis of Port State Control inspection records has found. The 26 refrigerated cargo vessels (or ‘reefers’) recorded transferring catch from fishing boats in the Antarctic in the period 2017-2019 failed 70% – 119 out of 168 – of their environmental and workers’ safety inspections in the same period. In one case, a reefer reportedly carrying heavy fuel oil in Antarctic waters, a substance forbidden in the area, crashed into an iceberg, before later sinking in the South Atlantic. The owner disputes that the vessel was carrying heavy fuel oil at the time and the case is subject to ongoing legal proceedings.
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Berlin
23. November 2024
