European commercial fishing vessel busted in Africa for shark finning: São Tomé and Príncipe Authorities Pursue Legal Action

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 26, 2018 A joint operation between local authorities and marine conservationists busts a shark finning operation by a European-owned fishing vessel off the coast of Central Africa. On September 22nd, local authorities from the Central African island state of São Tomé and Príncipe boarded the Senegalese-flagged, but Spanish-linked, long-line fishing vessel Vema in a joint operation with Sea Shepherd marine conservationists and Gabonese law enforcement officers called Operation Albacore III. Although the long-liner was licensed to fish for 'tuna and