COMBINED IUU VESSEL LIST

This vessel was originally Japan flagged and owned. From 2002-2006, as the AROWANA NO. 8, the vessel held Belize, Vanuatu then Mongolia flags. The vessel’s name was changed to JETMARK NO. 8 and flagged to the Philippines in 2006. This vessel was renamed to MAXIMUS and reflagged to St. Vincent and the Grenadines in 2014, with a further flag change to Senegal in 2018. Analysis indicates the vessel was involved in illegal transhipment of crew to 2 vessels whilst named MAXIMUS and flagged to Senegal in 2018/2019. Company structure and vessel operational analysis also suggests this vessel was a Taiwan FOC vessel but was not on the list of Taiwan FOC vessels. In 2020 MAXIMUS held ICCAT authorisation as a catching vessel operating with longlines. However, AIS analysis suggested the vessel was not catching fish but was engaging in illegal transhipments at sea in areas where tuna fleets operated. MAXIMUS was suspected to be operating as a mini-reefer and landing/laundering catch at Dakar port, potentially from illegal sources. The US Coast Guard reported sightings of MAXIMUS between the US and the Bermuda EEZ in March 2020; on deck, the vessel had multiple large ‘yokohama’ fenders and spools of net as well as rub marks along the hull. These are indications of transhipment activity at sea. ICCAT sources show the vessel was not authorised to operate as a carrier vessel at the time of sighting. In 2021, the EU received bilateral confirmation from Senegal that part or the entirety of the northern swordfish exported to the EU in 2020 stemmed from illegal transhipments made by this vessel, MAXIMUS. VMS data received from Senegal evidences this. Senegal deregistered this vessel as a result and submitted a proposal to include MAXIMUS in the ICCAT IUU list. HSIN FEI TRADING AND INVESTMENT CO. LTD, the vessel’s owner/operator throughout 2020 and 2021, was blocked from operating fishing vessels in Senegal and its export agreement was suspended. The vessel renamed to LUCAS and reflagged to the Gambia in February 2021. ICCAT included the vessel in the ICCAT IUU list on 28 May 2022 for engaging in transhipment with vessels included in the IUU vessels list.