5 Aug 2009

French Polynesian court fines Venezuelan vessel for illegal fishing

9:34 am on 5 August 2009

French Polynesia's criminal court has fined the captain and owner of a fishing boat from Venezuela for fishing illegally in the territory's waters.

Tahitipresse reports that the captain and owner of the vessel, the Daniel F, have been fined a total of 632,000 US dollars.

The boat was detected in April 2007 and is estimated to have caught 80 tonnes of tuna illegally.

The court has also ruled that the Tahitian fishermen's organisation, Rava'ai rau, be paid 178,000 US dollars in compensation.