Mozambique: Inspection seizes over four tonnes of fish in Zambézia

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Mozambique: Inspection seizes over four tonnes of fish in Zambézia

11:23 CAT | 10 Feb 2022

Photo: O País

The fisheries inspection authority in the central Mozambican province of Zambezia recently seized over four tonnes of fish unlawfully caught in the rich fishing grounds of the Sofala Bank during the closed season, according to a report in the independent daily “O Pais”.

The inspection said that the catch, worth more than one million meticais (about 15.600 US dollars, at the current exchange rate), had forged documents, indicating that it had been fished in Macaneta, in Maputo province. But as a matter of fact the fish came from Sofala, and the northern province of Nampula was its final destination, where it would be sold.

“The consignment documents are false, because the Sofala Bank is still in the closed fishing season, unlike the southern provinces. The paperwork has been issued with a conspicuous intention to dodge the authorities, as the owners are in conflict with the law,” said Augusto Luis, Inspection Coordinator of the Fisheries and Agriculture Service in Zambezia.

Luis also pointed out that any closed fishing season is intended to enable the reproduction of fish species, and it makes no sense that some people deliberately decide to breach the norms and regulations.

He declared that the inspection might be able to dismantle a presumed network that issues phoney documents, because from this seizure relevant information will be gathered which will lead to disclosing the complexity of the network.

Latifo Maembo, the Provincial Inspector of Fisheries, stated that the certification is usually issued by the National Institute of Fisheries (INP) which concluded that the documents were false.

Adamo Suleimane, the truck driver who transported the cargo, claimed to be totally unaware that the documents were not authentic. “I took a look at the documents and as I saw no irregularities I agreed to carry the cargo. I was surprised by the authorities who told me that the papers were forged and arrested me.”

The inspection has issued a seizure warrant for the catch and the vehicle will be fined for ferrying the goods during the closed fishing season.

Source: AIM