AFM patrol boat seizes Italian trawler in Maltese fishing zone

AFM patrol boat seizes Italian trawler in Maltese fishing zone

An AFM patrol boat late yesterday seized an Italian fishing boat allegedly found fishing illegally in the Maltese fishing zone. A number of other Italian boats cut their nets and headed out of the area as soon as the Maltese patrol boat arrived.

The incident took place after a report was received by the patrol boat about fishing on Hurd's Bank, south-east of Malta. The fishing boats were spotted by an AFM Islander aircraft.

The fishing boat Maria Salvatrice was intercepted some 19 miles off Delimara. AFM soldiers who boarded the vessel found boxes of fresh fish on board.

The fishing boat was escorted to Grand Harbour.

The incident is being widely reported on the Italian media, with the Mayor of the fishing village of Porto Palo claiming that the fishing boat was not conducting any illegal activity and was merely transiting the waters.

Powered by ScribeFire.

Amazonian oil-fields?

Peru's military have been authorised to give support to the police
for 30 days in an escalating dispute over Amazon resources with
indigenous groups.

...their ancestral territories were being handed over to multinational companies without consultation.

more...

Powered by ScribeFire.

Congo-Kinshasa: Electronics Firms Urged to Boycott 'Blood Minerals'

The world's mass consumption of cell phones, laptops and other electronics fuels widespread sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to a new study released Wednesday by the non-profit Enough Project that echoes what many human rights activists and humanitarian workers have been saying for years.

The paper, "Can You Hear Congo Now? Cell Phones, Conflict Minerals, and the Worst Sexual Violence in the World," details how "conflict minerals" that are mined in the war-torn DRC are sold by rebel groups to purchase arms, and serve as a direct cause of widespread sexual violence in the war-torn country.

Source:

"Congo-Kinshasa: Electronics Firms Urged to Boycott 'Blood Minerals'"
Inter Press Service, April 1, 2009

Powered by ScribeFire.