French authorities intensify efforts to combat illegal fishing in French Guiana, seizing vessels and marine resources.
On August 29 and 30, the French customs vessel DF39 Alizé, with a maritime affairs officer from the ULAM of Saint-Laurent du Maroni on board, carried out inspections on two ships engaged in illegal fishing within French territorial waters.
On August 29, a fishing boat, lacking any identification markings and manned by a crew from Suriname and Guyana, was intercepted, leading to the seizure of 3.6 tons of fish. The next day, August 30, the Venezuelan fishing vessel La Leyenda, which did not hold authorization to fish in French waters, was apprehended with 10 tons of fish on board.
Since the beginning of 2024, up until July 31, maritime inspections in the waters off French Guiana have led to the diversion of 8 vessels and the seizure of 19, including some captured on land. A total of 208 legal actions have been initiated against foreign vessels or those without clear registration (IUU – Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated fishing). The operations also resulted in the confiscation of 106 tons of illegally caught fish, 271 kilograms of swim bladders (sought after for the Chinese market), and 129 kilometers of fishing nets.
