Vigilantes' 'pirate' chase underscores lack of enforcement

摘要

In April, one of the most notorious illegal fishing vessels, the Thunder, sank off the coast of Nigeria. The sinking marked the culmination of a 110-day chase by the self-described ecovigilante organization Sea Shepherd. The episode demonstrates the loopholes in illegal fishing enforcement, with many countries patrolling only their own waters and leaving international waters to groups like Sea Shepherd, whose motto is "it takes a pirate to catch a pirate." The Thunder has been listed on the Purple Notice list -- Interpol's version of the FBI's most wanted list. It typically keeps its locational transponder turned off to remain undetected and frequently changes its name and port registry.