Antonio Vidal Suárez, Manuel Antonio Vidal Pego - Oceana

Oceana, 20.04.2010
EU, Spanish and Galician Fishing Subsidies financing
Illegal Unreported and Unregulated fishing
Case Study:
Antonio Vidal Suárez, Manuel Antonio Vidal Pego
1. Overview
Antonio Vidal Suárez and his son Manuel Antonio Vidal Pego from Santa Eugenia de
Ribeira, Galicia, Spain owned, partly owned, operated or are closely economically linked to
at least nine fishing vessels that have been involved in and sanctioned for Illegal Unreported
and Unreported fishing for Patagonian toothfish (Dissostichus spp.) and deepsea sharks by
the Spanish or other governments worldwide.
At least three of the fishing vessels closely linked to Vidal’s companies are currently listed in
the CCAMLR (Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources) IUU
blacklist (http://www.ccamlr.org/pu/e/sc/fish-monit/iuu-vess.htm). In the last decade, Vidal
Pego and Vidal Suárez owned, partly owned or operated a network of companies as shown
in chapter two of this case study, that have been linked to at least nine fishing vessels,
involved in IUU fishing, six of them have been included in the CCAMLR blacklist of IUU
fishing vessels over the years, as documented in chapter three.
Oceana has been involved in a campaign against IUU fishing for years, and has denounced
issues related to Manuel Antonio Vidal Pego and his father Antonio Vidal Suárez in the past.
In 2006, Oceana provided information to a Florida (United States) court to support the
process against Vidal Pego. In November of that year, Vidal Pego was sentenced to four
years probation and ordered to pay a $400,000 fine. He was charged with importing and
conspiring to sell 26 tons of illegally possessed Patagonian toothfish in the United States
through the port of Miami in 2004. Antonio Vidal turned himself in to U.S. authorities on April
19, 2006 after INTERPOL issued a warrant for his arrest. He pleaded guilty to obstruction of
justice.
Despite their well known illegal activities since the nineties and the CCAMLR blacklisting of
IUU fishing vessels, linked to Vidal Armadores in the CCAMLR blacklist of IUU fishing
vessels latest since 2002, Vidal companies have received almost ten million Euro of fishing
subsidies from the local government of Galicia, the Spanish fisheries ministry and the
European Union as documented in Chapter 3 since 1997. During that time, the
administrations have partly financed at least three new fishing vessels for Vidal Armadores.
The new Omega 3 fish factory, Biomega Nutrición
Biomega Nutrición is a Spanish company, managed by Manuel Antonio Vidal Pego and
owned by Antonio Vidal Suárez (30%), his son Manuel Antonio Vidal Pego (30%) and two
other members of the Vidal family.
Currently, Biomega Nutrición is building a fish processing factory in the Galician village of
Boiro, officially for the production of Omega 3 fatty acids with a new freezing technology.
Omega 3 fatty acids are usually produced out of fish liver oil; fish liver oil comes mostly from
vulnerable deepsea sharks.
1

For the construction of the factory, Biomega Nutrición, since 2009 Biomega Nutrición has
been receiving or will receive subsidies of 4,02 million Euro in subsidies from the government
of Galicia, representing 60% of the total investment, and co-financed by the European
Fisheries Fund. The subsidies are provided under a program to support fish processing and
commercialization companies to improve their ability to compete in international markets.
These subsides are being paid despite the fact that the company managers and owners
have been involved in IUU fishing.
Oceana investigations revealed that the company Vidal Armadores is operating two fishing
vessels under companies that have the same address as Biomega Nutrición. As both
vessels have been recently involved in IUU fishing for deepsea sharks, it is very likely that
Biomega Nutrición is receiving their raw material from IUU fishing.
The new European Union regulation against IUU fishing (EC 1005/2008), in force since
January 2010 is not covering imports of fish liver oil and shark liver oil, as neither products
defined as fish products under this regulation.
Oceana sent letters to the European Union and the Conselleria de Pesca in Galicia to try to
reverse the decision on these subsidies in December 2009, without success. Oceana has
also requested immediate investigations into the origin of the fish products imported or stored
by Biomega Nutrición and other companies Vidal Pego is involved with, but so far, these
investigations have not been carried out.
Oceana’s requests for policy change:
Oceana asks the European Union to take immediate legal action against the
government of Spain and the Xunta de Galicia
Oceana is asking the European Union for the inclusion of provisions, enforcement
and sanctioning of IUU fishing directly in the Common Fisheries Policy regulation,
including the prohibition of fishing subsidies to any individuals or companies linked to
those individuals that have been involved in IUU fishing
Oceana calls for the rapid introduction of a system of criminal sanctions for offenders
in EU member states that enables governments to close their companies and prevent
any further commercial activities of those individuals or their companies.
Oceana asks the European Union and the Xunta de Galicia (regional government for
Galicia, Spain) to reverse the recent decision to grant subsidies to Biomega Nutrición
or any other company linked to Antonio Vidal Suárez or Manuel Antonio Vidal Pego.
Oceana is asking the European Union and the government of Spain for immediate
investigations into the origin of the fish products imported or stored by Biomega
Nutrición and other companies Vidal Pego is involved with, to guarantee they do not
come from illegal fishing.
Oceana is asking the European Commission for the closure of loopholes in the IUU
regulation, specifically the inclusion of fish liver oil, shark liver oil and other fish
products that are currently excluded from the regulation.
Oceana is asking the European Union and the government of Spain for the
immediate enforcement of existing EU and Spanish legislation against Antonio Vidal
2

Suárez or Manuel Antonio Vidal Pego and other employees of Vidal companies that
are involved in IUU fishing.
2. Antonio Vidal Suárez and Manuel Antonio Vidal Pego companies
According to company information 2008, Antonio Vidal Suárez and Manuel Antonio Vidal
Pego are directly involved in several Spanish fishing, fish trading or fish processing
companies and the group holding Viarsa Cartera SA.
Viarsa Cartera SA, Lugar de Marmoa 12, 15960 Santa Eugenia de Ribeira, Spain
managed by Antonio Vidal Suárez and Manuel Antonio Vidal Pego
Vidal Armadores SA, Lugar de Marmoa 12, 15960 Santa Eugenia de Ribeira,
subsidiary of Viarsa Cartera SA, administrated by Antonio Vidal Suárez. Manuel
Antonio Vidal Pego and another owner of Biomega Nutrición are legal representatives
of Vidal Armadores SA
Mabenal SA, a Uruguayan based company, 100% subsidiary of Vidal Armadores
Navalmar SA, a Uruguayan based company is a 100% subsidiary of Vidal Armadores
Biomega Nutrición, Avenida de la Coruña 18, 15960 Santa Eugenia de Ribeira,
Spain, managed by Manuel Antonio Vidal Pego, owned by Antonio Vidal Suárez
(30%), Manuel Antonio Vidal Pego (30%), Angel Vidal Pego (20%) and Belén Vidal
Pego (20%)
Propegarvi SRL, Avenida de la Coruña 18, 15960 Santa Eugenia de Ribeira, Spain,
according to company information 2010
Further foreign, vessel owning companies are linked to Vidal Armadores and registred under
the same address as Biomega Nutrición in Avenida de la Coruña 18:
Rep Line Ventures SA, Avenida de la Coruña 18, 15960 Santa Eugenia de Ribeira,
Spain
Staplefield Investments, Avenida de la Coruña 18, 15960 Santa Eugenia de Ribeira,
Spain
Other companies linked to Vidal are Global Intercontinental Services and Meteora
Development and a diversified net of energy companies.
3

3. Antonio Vidal Suárez and Manuel Antonio Vidal Pego’s infringements of fisheries legislation
and involvement in IUU fishing
Table 1: Antonio Vidal Suárez and Manuel Antonio Vidal Pego’s infringements of fisheries legislation and involvement in IUU fishing
Current Former IUU incidents Owner Company, links to Vidal
name Names/Flags
Corvus Names: The Durban, South Africa, press reported in August 2007 that a North Korean-flagged fishing vessel, Lloyds names as current owner: Rep Line
(Panama flag) Dorita
the INA MAKA, was arrested in Durban Harbor with a cargo of nurse sharks on board and the owner Ventures S.A., Avenida de la Coruña
Magnus fined R400,000 (about $60,000) after fishery and wildlife officers raided the vessel and found 18 Bajo, Santa Eugenia de Ribeira , 15960 /
on CCAMLR Thule
approximately 60 km of illegal gillnets on board. The owner, Meteora Developments Incorporated, was Spain, the company is based in the same
IUU blacklist Eolo
Red Moon
based in Panama. In August 2007, the vessel owners pleaded guilty before South African magistrate
V P Ngobe to two charges under the Marine Living Resources Act. Prosecutor Jabulani Cebekhulu
address as Biomega Nutrición
IMO:
Black Moon said the charges related to the illegal possession of gillnets and providing false information.
In 2007, the vessel was owned by the
7322897 Ina Maka
Panama based company Meteora
Galaxy Earlier IUU incidents:
Development Inc. and was at that time
Flags:
operated by Vidal Armadores according to
Uruguay Since 2001, the vessel has been denounced various times by the Antartic and Southern Ocean Lloyds.
St Vincent & Coalition (ASOC), in 2002 for illegal unloadings to Pacific Andes in Jakarta. The vessel has been
Grenadines
Equatorial
accused for names changes at the high seas to hide their catches.
Guinea
Sierra Leone
North Korea
Included in CCAMLR blacklist because of IUU fishing Inside Division 58.5.2 the 31 Jan 04.
Antillas Reefer Current Flag: The "Antillas Reefer" was arrested by the Mozambican authorities in July 2008 after it was observed Owner 2008: Gongala Fishing JV Ltd. is a
Panama fishing without a license off the central province of Zambezia on 23 June with 43 tonnes of sharks, JV with Vidal Armadores Uruguayan
Forfeited to the
four tonnes of shark fin, 1.8 tonnes of shark tail, 11.3 tonnes of shark liver and 20 tonnes of subsidiary Mabenal SA.
government of
shark oil. Total value of the catch around five million USD. Also found on board were 65 tonnes of According to Lloyds, the current vessel
Mozambique
bait (frozen squid and fish, bait and illegal deepwater long lines. The vessel was apparently targeting owner is the company Staplefield
deep sea sharks. The Mozambican Fisheries Ministry has imposed a fine of 4.5 million US dollars on Investments, with the same address as
IMO:
the ship's owners and has confiscated the ship and everything on board.
Biomega Nutricion: Avenida de la Coruña
8603688
18 Bajo, Santa Eugenia de RibeiraRibeira ,
15960 / Spain.
Belma
Current Flag: The 27th of November 2008, the spanish Secretaría General del Mar found irregularities in the types
IMO:
Spanish of species fished by Belma. The vessel was chartered to Namibia under ICCAT rules to fish
tuna/swordfish but was found with deepsea sharks on board. On December 5
9183104
th The Belma is owned by the company Vidal
2008, the Secretaría
Armadores SA
General del Mar initiated action to determine responsibilities.
Trosky Names: In May 2008 Paloma V was inspected in the New Zealand port of Auckland, where the vessel Owner 2008: Gongala Fishing JV Ltd. is a
(Cambodia flag) Paloma V intended to land Patagonian toothfish. During the inspection, officials retrieved information that JV with Vidal Armadores subsidiary
showed that the Paloma V had been involved in IUU fishing in the past. Consequently, the vessel was Mabenal SA
blacklisted by CCAMLR (Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources)
Blacklisted on
CCAMLR IUU
Flags:
Cambodia
4

list
IMO:
9319856
Galaecia
sunk in July
2008
IMO:
9265316
Draco 1
(Panama
flagged)
Blacklisted on
CCAMLR IUU
list
IMO:
9042001
Namibia
Uruguay
Flags:
Spanish
Names:
Carran
Hammer
Chilbo San
33
Liberty
Flags:
Uruguay
Togo
North Korea
Panama
Blacklisted on CCAMLR IUU blacklist:
16 May 08: Supporting the IUU activities of IUU listed vessels, including refueling and re-supplying
IUU-listed vessel Chilbo San 33.
22 Apr 09: Inside CCAMLR Division 58.4.3b: abandoned gillnet withPatagopnian Toothfish close to
Trosky.
July 9th, 2004 the fishing master of the vessel Galaecia was sanctioned 60.000 Euro and a
suspension of fishing activities for six month for manipulating satellite devices and obstruction of
inspections. Vidal Armadores paid the fine.
Another sanctioning procedure was opened 12.12.2005 against Vidal, after Oceana informed the
public and condemned the illegal transfer of supplies from the Spanish flagged Vidal vessel Galaecia
to the Hammer, another of Vidal’s ships included in the CCAMLR registry of pirate fishing vessels.
According to Spanish media reports, in October 2007, the Spanish government got a notification of a
disembarkation of the illegal fishing vessel Chilbo San 33 in Mombasa the October 15th 2007. The
Spanish government is evaluating proof that shows that the catches have originally been carried out
by the vessel Galaecia.
Galaecia was sighted and inspected in Cape Town in November 2007 with a gillnet roller fitted at the
hauling station and it is quite possible that they are also involved in the nurse shark fishery.
16.05.2008: New Zealand fisheries inspectors gathered evidence that Paloma V participated in joint
fishing operations including IUU listed vessels Ina Maka and Chilbo San. Further evidence shows that
Paloma V is operating as part of a group of vessels, controlled by Vidal, to which also the Spanish
flagged vessels Belma and Galaecia belong.
23.06. 2008: The Spanish government opened investigations into possible falsification of
documentation and unloading documents of catches of the vessel Galaecia. The investigations are
related to a load from Mombasa (Kenia), with the destination Sintes (Portugal) and that was probably
later shipped to Vigo.
October 2002 and January 2003: Undocumented landing of Patagonian toothfish in Jakarta and
Mauritius
Blacklisted on CCAMLR IUU list:
Aug 04 : Undocumented landing, Malaysia
22 Feb 05: IUU Fishing inside Division 58.4.3a
28 Apr 05: IUU, Inside Division 58.4.3a
16 Dec 05: IUU Fishing inside Division 58.4.3b
In October 2007, Feike, a group of South African natural resource management advisors published a
picture in their newsletter, showing the IUU listed fishing vessel Chilbo San, unloading in Mombasa,
Kenia. Feike reported that the vessel unloaded around 100 tons of Patagonian toothfish.
5
Owner: Vidal Armadores SA
Between 07.10.2003 and 01.01.2008,
registered owner for Draco 1 was the
company Global Intercontinental Services.
According to Lloyds, Global Intercontinental
Services SA, Panama is a subsidiary of
Vidal Armadores.
According to other sources, the fishing
vessel belonged from January 2007 to
January 2008 to the company Vidal
Armadores SA.

Viarsa I
Blacklisted on
CCAMLR IUU
list
Scrapped
IMO:
8001335
Arvisa I
Transformed into
patrol vessel
IMO:
8608470
Maya V
Government of
Australia
Blacklisted on
CCAMLR IUU
list
IMO:8882818
Names:
Rita
Rita 12
Merced
Eternal
Camouco
Saint Jean
Camouco
Flags:
Netherlands
Antilles
Uruguay
Flags:
Uruguay
01 Jul 09: IUU fishing Inside Division 58.4.3b
Blacklisted on CCAMLR IUU blacklist
7 Aug 03: Sighted inside Division 58.5.1
3 Feb 04: Apprehended 58.5.2
Australian fishing patrol vessels caught Vidals vessel Viarsa 1 red-handed in 2003 while illegally
fishing Patagonian toothfish in Australia’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), worth around one million
USD, close to the McDonald islands. Vidal and the crew of this ship escaped criminal changes by an
Australian jury for illegal fishing activities after the vessel participated in a 4,000-mile getaway lasting
one month in the Southern Ocean. Finally the vessel was scrapped.
1999: Camouco, flagged to Panama arrested in French waters around the Crozet Islands. She was
subsequently convicted and fined, after the flag State, Panama, made an application to the
International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea for prompt release on the posting of a bond of 8000000
FF . As Camouco, the vessel unloaded 200 tonnes of toothfish in Mauritius in June 2000.
Arvisa I returned to Mauritius to unload toothfish in August 2000, and again in February, April, July,
September and December of 2001. She landed toothfish in Maputo, Mozambique in March 2002 and
in May 2002 the vessel unloaded a further 217 tonnes of toothfish in Mauritius.
In January 2002, the vessel was sighted well within the CCAMLR Convention Area by the
Australian research vessel, Aurora Australis with no identification visible. She claimed to be the
Kambott, flying the Mauritian flag, but later proved to be the Arvisa I, flagged to Uruguay. In July
2003, the same vessel was apprehended by the French Navy in Kerguelen waters but by this time she
had temporarily reflagged to the Netherlands Antilles and was renamed the Eternal.
In January 2004, Maya V was apprehended in the by an Australian patrol vessel for poaching more
than 1.5 million USD worth of rare Patagonian toothfish from Australian territorial waters.
Blacklisted on CCAMLR IUU list
23 Jan 04: Fishing inside Division 58.5.2.Apprehended Crewmembers were found guilty and fined in
Australia.
6
According to Lloyds, Viarsa I was belonging
to Vidal Armadores in 2003.
According to Uruguayan investigations,
Arvisa 1 was part of the Navalmar SA-fleet.
Navalmar SA, a Uruguayan based company
is a 100% subsidiary of Vidal Armadores
According to media reports, Maya V was
bareboat chartered to Navalmar SA of
Uruguay. Navalmar SA, a Uruguayan based
company is a 100% subsidiary of Vidal
Armadores

3. Fishing subsidies paid to Antonio Vidal Suárez and Manuel Antonio Vidal Pego 1997 – 2010
Table 2: Fishing subsidies paid to Antonio Vidal Suárez and Manuel Antonio Vidal Pego
Year RESPONSIBLE
PUBLISHING REASON FOR SUBSIDIES AMOUNT
ADMINISTRATION
DATE
1997 SECRETARÍA GENERAL DE
PESCA MARÍTIMA
18/4/2000 ADAPCION DE CAPACIDAD PALANGRE 35.188 €
1998 EUROPEAN UNION CONSTRUCCIÓN Y MODERNIZACIÓN FLOTA PESQUERA:
CONSTRUCCION: BELMA
695.704 €
2000 SECRETARÍA GENERAL DE
PESCA MARÍTIMA
18/04/2000 REEMBOLSO CAJAS AZULES 4.009 €
2002 XUNTA DE GALICIA 03/03/2003 PESQUERIAS RIF (VIDAL ARMADORES): CONSTRUCCIÓN Y
MODERNIZACIÓN FLOTA PESQUERA: CONSTRUCCION: GALECIA
1.511.808 €
2004 XUNTA DE GALICIA 18/03/2004 CONSTRUCCIÓN Y MODERNIZACIÓN FLOTA PESQUERA:
CONSTRUCCION: PLAYA DO CASTRO
634.793 €
2005 SECRETARÍA GENERAL DE
PESCA MARÍTIMA
15/04/2005 ACCIONES PILOTO PESCA EXPERIMENTAL EN 2006 1.310.563 €
2005 SECRETARÍA GENERAL DE 15/04/2005 CONSTRUCCIÓN Y MODERNIZACIÓN FLOTA PESQUERA:
377.952 €
PESCA MARÍTIMA
CONSTRUCCION: PLAYA DO CASTRO
2006 SECRETARÍA GENERAL DE
PESCA MARÍTIMA
03/03/2006 ACCIONES PILOTO PESCA EXPERIMENTAL EN 2005 1.302.549 €
2008 MINISTERIO DE FOMENTO 22/02/2008 AYUDAS PARA LA ADQUISICIÓN DE RADIOBALIZAS DE HOMBRE
AL AGUA Y CHALECOS SALVAVIDAS Y GONIÓMETROS DE
LOCALIZACIÓN Y RADIOBALIZAS DESTINADAS A LOS BUQUES
PESQUEROS NACIONALES BUQUE:PLAYA DO CASTRO
2.940 €
2009 INSTITUTO GALLEGO DE 12/05/2009
RESOLUCIÓN DE 29 DE ABRIL DE 2009 POR LA QUE SE DA
7.500 €
PROMOCIÓN ECONÓMICA
PUBLICIDAD A LOS BENEFICIARIOS DE LAS AYUDAS
CONCEDIDAS POR EL INSTITUTO GALLEGO DE PROMOCIÓN
ECONÓMICA (IGAPE) DURANTE EL PRIMER TRIMESTRE DE 2009.
Proyecto: FACILITAR EL ACCESO A LA FINANCIACIÓN POR PARTE
DE LAS PYMES AL OBJETO DE ADECUAR Y REFORZAR SU
ESTRUCTURA FINANCIERA.
2009 CONSELLERÍA DE PESCA Y Fecha Publicación: RESOLUCIÓN DE 7 DE ABRIL DE 2009 POR LA QUE SE DA
30.000 €
ASUNTOS MARÍTIMOS. 06/05/2009
PUBLICIDAD A LAS AYUDAS CONCEDIDAS POR LA DIRECCIÓN
COMUNIDAD AUTONOMA
GENERAL DE ESTRUCTURAS Y MERCADOS DE LA PESCA
DE GALICIA
CORRESPONDIENTES A LA CONVOCATORIA DEL EJERCICIO
2008. Proyecto: MANTENER LA COMPETITIVIDAD DE LA
ACTIVIDAD PESQUERA
7

2009 MINISTERIO DE MEDIO
AMBIENTE, Y MEDIO
RURAL Y MARINO
Fecha Publicación:
18/03/2009
RESOLUCIÓN DE 25 DE FEBRERO DE 2009, DE LA SECRETARÍA
GENERAL DEL MAR, POR LA QUE SE HACEN PÚBLICAS LAS
SUBVENCIONES CONCEDIDAS EL AÑO 2008. Proyecto:
SUBVENCIÓN PARALIZACIÓN TEMPORAL.
8
23.047 €
2009 MINISTERIO DE FOMENTO 03/02/2009 RESOLUCIÓN DE 30 DE DICIEMBRE DE 2008, DE LA SOCIEDAD
DE SALVAMENTO Y SEGURIDAD MARÍTIMA, POR LA QUE SE
OTORGAN AYUDAS PARA LA ADQUISICIÓN DE RADIOBALIZAS
DE HOMBRE AL AGUA, CHALECOS SALVAVIDAS, GONIÓMETROS
DE LOCALIZACIÓN Y RADIOBALIZAS DESTINADAS A LOS
BUQUES PESQUEROS NACIONALES. BUQUE: BELMA
3.000 €
2009 XUNTA DE GALICIA BIOMEGA NUTRICION; CONTRUCCION DE PLANTA DE OMEGA 3 3.956.489 €
Total1997-
2009
9.895.542 €