Operation Sola Stella: Another campaign ends successfully

Operation Sola Stella © Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

After a total of twelve months of patrols and twelve arrests, Operation Sola Stella has resulted in a dramatic drop in incidents of illegal fishing and the return of fish populations in formerly over-exploited coastal waters.

Operation Sola Stella was Sea Shepherd's second joint operation with the Liberian Ministry of National Defense to tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the Republic of Liberia, West Africa.

Early in 2017, working with the Liberian government, the M/V Bob Barker patrolled the waters with ten Liberian Coast Guard sailors and two Israeli maritime advisors and conservationists. Three months of at-sea patrols resulted in the arrest of five vessels associated with IUU fishing, with over 50 violations of Liberian law. In the last month of patrolling, Sea Shepherd did not encounter any illegal vessels, indicating that law enforcement at-sea had a deterrent effect.

Later in the year, after Sea Shepherd had left, local fishermen reported that the illegal vessels had returned. Sea Shepherd headed back to Liberia with the vessel the M/V Sam Simon. Following that return, they arrested seven vessels. They also helped to intercept a trawler as it attempted to flee detention in Liberia.

The arrested vessels include the F/V Labiko II, found on three international blacklists, and the F/V Hai Lung, an infamous fishing vessel that is blacklisted by several regional fisheries management organizations. On the Labiko II a shark liver oil production facility was discovered on board. Based on the amount of shark liver oil they were producing, the Labiko II was conservatively killing up to half a million sharks per year!