Namibian court approving return of fishing trawler to Russian owner

Namibian Supreme Court has confirmed Arkhangelsk Trawl Fleet's ownership of unlawfully denuded trawler, reports www.fishnet-russia.com (www.fishnet.ru) with reference to ATF.

The court's decision has put an end to a lengthy dispute over a return of three fishing trawlers to the Russian flag, the ships illegally denuded from the company several years ago.

More specifically, in 2004 while fishing in the territorial waters of Mauritania ATF's three trawlers Kapitan Kononov, Tralmeister Mogutov and Yuosas Aleksonis were captured by the Mauritanian company SPP SA allegedly due to the debts of ATF.

In the course of multi-annual court trials in Russia, Spain, Panama and Mauritania ATF repeatedly had to prove its fidelity and unlawfulness of the trawlers caption. As a result, in the end of 2007 two trawlers went under the Russian flag. Repeatedly renamed and resold the third trawler Kapitan Kononov was found at the Namibian shores and was arrested under ATF's request about two years ago, and now the Namibian court has confirmed ATF's ownership of the vessel.