MEDIVA STAR

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Captain in court for fishing in restricted area

The Russian captain of the 'Mediva Star' which has allegedly fished in a restricted area has appeared in the Walvis Bay Magistrate's Court on charges under the Marine Resources Act. Vitaly Dukach, was charged with fishing in restricted areas of the 200-metre depth zone in October 2019. The vessel is used to catch fish for a Namibian horse mackerel rights holder, Joka Two Fishing, which is owned by a number of politicians, including former Swapo parliamentarianis Theo Diergaardt. Dukach was granted bail in an amount of N$100 000 with his court appearance on March 11, 2020. The law enforcement authorities could not bring the charges against Dukach in 2019 as he was not in the country at the time. He returned to Namibia this week and turned himself in to the Namibian Police. He was among a number of foreign vessel captains who were in recent times charged with or convicted of contravening the Marine Resources Act by fishing in restricted waters.