Illegal fishing:Cameroon impounds Chinese-manned vessel

Authorities in southwestern Cameroon impounded a Chinese-manned vessel and arrested its crew for fishing illegally, bringing the number of Chinese vessels seized this month to three.

The vessel was found fishing in what’s marked as an offshore oil field in the Limbe area on July 16 and the Chinese crew was handed over to the state prosecutor for trial, according to the commander of the Limbe Naval Base, Emmanuel Sone Ngonge.

“Not only will they be charged with illegal fishing in prohibited areas,” Ngonge said by phone Monday. “They will additionally be prosecuted for lacking identification documents for themselves and the vessel, which I can bet you is barely seaworthy.”

Several tons of fish found on the vessel will be auctioned to local consumers, according to a regional government spokesman for livestock and fisheries.