A Namibian fishing vessel, caught supporting illegal fishing in the Southern Ocean, has had its fishing licence revoked.
The New Zealand Government recommended the vessel be blacklisted earlier this month, two months after fishery officers found evidence the boat had been working with illegal fishing vessels in the Southern Ocean.
The ship, Paloma V, had tried to unload toothfish in Auckland.
Its owner, Omunkete Fishing (PTY) Limited, took the Government to court to try to prevent New Zealand from reporting its activity to the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR).
A High Court decision in July rejected the application, allowing the Government to report the illegal activity, paving the way for CCAMLR to consider New Zealand's recommendation the vessel be blacklisted.
Thirty-four countries have signed the CCAMLR convention, and blacklisting would mean Paloma V would not be able to enter any ports in those nations.
The commission will consider the recommendation in October.
The Associated Press reported today that the Namibian government had revoked the licences of two Omunkete-owned ships, accused of poaching in international waters.
Abraham Iyambo, Namibia's minister of fisheries and marine resources, said in a statement that both vessels would be investigated following complaints from New Zealand and Mozambique.
One vessel was stopped in Mozambique last week carrying a large cargo of shark products.
The government's move comes less than two weeks after Namibia hosted seven coastal southern African countries in a conference at which they agreed on tough measures to curb illegal fishing.
NZPA