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Suspected illegal fish cargo expected in Busan

The "Holland Klipper" which was carrying suspected illegal fish worth 14 million Dollar was due to arrive in Busan on Oct 30, 2013. The vessel was believed to have received an illegal transfer of fish from up to 20 Korean trawlers 95 miles off the coast of Guinea on Sep 20. The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) was calling on Korean and Dutch Governments to act to prevent the fish from being sold. EJF tracked the Korean-flagged "Kum Woong 101" fishing illegally in Sierra Leone’s Inshore Exclusion Zone (IEZ) before it travelled to Guinea, where it transferred its catch to the "Holland Klipper" . After discovering the illegal fishing activity, EJF transmitted an IUU Alert to the European Commission, as well as the Dutch and Korean Governments. The European Commission was believed to have launched its own alert, and the Dutch and Korean Governments confirmed to EJF that they were investigating the case, but so far it was unclear what action has been taken. The owner and manager Green Sea has claimed that the transhipment was authorised and the company has clauses in its contracts protecting it from liability. The company pointed to a ‘BIMCO’ clause in its chartering agreements, which would mean that the charterer of the vessel took responsibility for any illegal fishing activity. However, BIMCO denied creating or approving this clause.