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♪ ♪

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PETER HAMMERSTEDT:
We have to do this

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under the cover of darkness.

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There could be eyes watching us.

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It's only through
a stealth mission, really,

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that we'll have any success

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intercepting
an illegal operator.

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MARIANA VAN ZELLER:
I'm on the trail

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of what some consider
the perfect crime.

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A black market worth
more than $20 billion,

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with little risk
of getting caught.

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I'm told it's
like robbing a bank

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in the middle of the ocean.

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So you see these lights
out there on the ocean,

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those are the six
super trawlers.

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PETER: One of the reasons
that we're all black

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is so that these super trawlers

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don’t see that a patrol
is under way,

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that they don’t see us
leaving the harbor.

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MARIANA: Somewhere out there
in the darkness

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are the most prolific
wildlife poachers on the planet.

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Who are they?
How do they work?

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And why is it so hard
to stop them?

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I thought I knew black markets,

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but I’ve never seen
anything like this.

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♪ ♪

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♪ ♪

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PETER: In this mass
expanse of water,

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we're looking for ships

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that are doing everything
that they can to hide.

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♪ ♪

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MARIANA: I've come to Liberia

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to understand how
illegal fishing works.

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PETER: These trawlers
come in direct conflict

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with the local fishermen,

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because they're
literally stealing fish

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from the local communities here.

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MARIANA: Some countries
have the resources

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to protect their own waters
from poachers;

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others don’t.

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That's why Liberia
has enlisted the help

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of an international organization
called Sea Shepherd.

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On board are a 30‐person crew,
the Liberian Coast Guard

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and my guide
to this joint patrol,

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20‐year Sea Shepherd veteran
Peter Hammerstedt.

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Peter currently heads

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Sea Shepherd’s task force
in Africa,

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a region plagued by overfishing.

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What’s causing the overfishing?

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PETER: You have a European fleet

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that's at a massive
overcapacity,

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two and a half times
what it could sustainably fish

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in European waters.

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You have a Chinese
distant water fishing fleet

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that has essentially wiped out
fisheries off the coast of China

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and that is now seeking
waters to fish elsewhere.

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And these two
massive fishing fleets

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from Europe, from China,

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have congregated in areas

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where, historically,
there still has been fish.

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Places like West Africa.

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MARIANA:
There's no global framework

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that governs what is legal
in the fishing industry.

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That’s a huge part
of the problem.

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And in places like West Africa,

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foreign trawlers can take
advantage of patchy regulation,

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poor enforcement

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and the rampant corruption
of some local officials.

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It's a low‐risk,
high‐reward crime,

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but the Sea Shepherd
is trying to change that.

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PETER: Six miles offshore,
no industrial vessels

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are allowed inside
of an inshore exclusion zone.

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But when there's no
patrolling presence at sea,

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these trawlers routinely turn
off their location transponders,

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and they go in.

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MARIANA: Every large commercial
fishing vessel is equipped

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with an Automatic
Identification System, or AIS,

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which transmits
its position at sea.

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If I were to be
fishing illegal

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inside the exclusion zones,

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as a captain of a ship,
I would turn off the AIS?

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PETER: You’d get close
to the prohibited area.

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That’s when you would
turn your AIS off.

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And you wouldn't
reappear on AIS

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until you’ve left
that prohibited area.

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MARIANA: In order
to directly observe

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suspicious fishing vessels,

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we need to get closer to them
and avoid being detected.

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That means we wait for the cover
of nightfall again.

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♪ ♪

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WOMAN: So these are the vessels
that we are looking at.

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At the moment they are about
three miles away from us.

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MARIANA: We’re super close
to this trawler, right?

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WOMAN: At the moment, yes.
We can see them.

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MARIANA: Oh, you can
actually see them?

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PETER: Yeah.

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MARIANA: Oh, it’s that,
what, light over there.

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WOMAN: Yes.

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MARIANA: So that’s the boat
we're going after?

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WOMAN: Yes.

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MARIANA: The Sea Shepherd crew
has found and identified

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a trawler with a known history
of turning off its AIS.

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What have you guys been able
to find out about this boat?

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PETER: There's not that much
known about this vessel,

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which is suspicious
in and of itself.

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We know that this vessel has
a long history of dark periods,

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where they turn off
their location transponder.

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And we know that they've done
some suspicious identity changes

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in, especially, claiming
to be a Somali vessel,

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as soon as
a month and a half ago.

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Uh, this is a vessel

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that we think is most likely
flagged to Senegal,

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but with a beneficial owner
that’s in Spain.

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MARIANA: Peter has a long
history with the Spanish.

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Back in the early 2000s,

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one out of every three fish
in the Antarctic

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was being caught illegally...

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most by Spanish‐owned vessels.

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Some were brought to justice,
but six trawlers kept at it,

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evading authorities
by changing their colors,

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their flags
and even their names.

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They were known
as the Bandit 6.

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The most notorious, a vessel
that made millions

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poaching Chilean sea bass,
was known as the Thunder.

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And Peter helped bring it down.

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PETER: We found the Thunder
fishing in a CCAMLR region.

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They’re not licensed
to fish down here.

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There’s an Interpol Purple
Notice issued for this vessel.

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We've told the vessel
that they're under arrest

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and we've told them
to go to Fremantle, Australia.

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We saw this vessel
emerge out of the fog.

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PETER: That would begin
what ultimately would become

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the longest maritime pursuit
in history.

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The chase stretched
across three oceans,

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covering 11,000 nautical miles,
and covered 110 days.

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(ship horn blowing)

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MARIANA: And then
in the end what happened?

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PETER: Ultimately, unable
to shake us as the pursuers,

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the captain of the Thunder
decided to sink his own ship,

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in an attempt to destroy
the evidence on board.

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MARIANA: Were they able to?

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PETER:
As they abandoned the ship,

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three of my crew boarded
the vessel with cameras.

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They were able to seize
nautical charts, mobile phones,

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computer hard drives,

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evidence that was
turned over to Interpol,

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who then used that evidence
to chase down the owner.

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She’s going down.

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MARIANA: Although several
crew members of the Thunder

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were sent to prison,

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the shipowner, like the owners
of the other Bandit 6 vessels,

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remained free.

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And Peter is confident that many
of those same players

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are still active in
the illegal fishing game today.

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WOMAN: At the moment,
they cannot see us.

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They can probably see
a very small red light,

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but not able to ID what we are.

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PETER: And we've also
reduced the speed,

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so we're matching their speed
of about three knots,

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which is a speed
indicative of fishing.

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So if they're just looking
at us on radar,

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they’re going to think
that we’re another trawler.

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MARIANA: Mmm.

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So it's the perfect way to
approach a situation like this,

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for a covert mission
like this one, I guess?

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PETER: The perfect way
to surprise a fishing boat

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is to pretend that you
are a fishing boat.

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MARIANA: Hmm.

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PETER: The plan tonight

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is that we’ll be assisting
the Liberian Coast Guard.

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Kanbal III claims to be
a shrimp trawler

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but may be doing something
very, very different.

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MARIANA: In 2017,

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the Kanbal III was approached
by another joint patrol,

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conducted by Senegalese fishing
authorities and Greenpeace.

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For more than 20 minutes,
Kanbal III's captain

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ignored radio requests
to slow down

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and to allow inspection.

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(man shouting)

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MARIANA: Once the Senegalese
authorities finally boarded,

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they discovered
Kanbal III's nets

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had been manipulated to create
a smaller mesh size,

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thereby capturing more fish.

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This is illegal
in most of the world.

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They also discovered
that the crew

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had attempted to undo
their net modifications

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prior to inspection.

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(man shouting)

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MARIANA: How dangerous
are these operations?

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WOMAN: What we are doing
carries some risks.

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But we have the Liberian
Coast Guard with us.

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We have a trained crew, and
that’s what we are here for.

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(radio chatter)

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MARIANA: Being in a small boat
on the open ocean at night

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is an unnerving experience.

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It's cold,
you can't see a thing,

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and you’re surrounded on
all sides by deep, dark water.

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♪ ♪

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It’s scary.

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You feel small and helpless.

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♪ ♪

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As we get closer
to the Kanbal III,

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I’m struck by the danger
of what we’re about to do.

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(man speaking foreign language)

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MARIANA: Not only are we
attempting to board a ship

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in the open ocean at night,

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but we have no idea what
or who we'll find on board.

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♪ ♪

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♪ ♪

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♪ ♪

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♪ ♪

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(officer shouting)

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MARIANA: I'm with the crew
of the Sea Shepherd

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and the Liberian Coast Guard

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as they board a fishing trawler
called the Kanbal III

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that’s been exhibiting
suspicious behavior.

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♪ ♪

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MARIANA: Pedro.

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So, the captain
is actually Portuguese.

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I just saw his passport
right here.

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MARIANA: Certa.

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MARIANA: Mm‐hmm.

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MARIANA: Mm‐hmm.

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He seems uncomfortable
with my questions,

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which makes me even more curious

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about what might be found
on the boat.

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MARIANA: Okay.

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We go over the ship’s documents,

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and it looks like their license

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allows them to trawl
for shrimp and crab.

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But the Liberian Coast Guard
needs to see proof

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that they’re fishing
by the rules.

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So they ask the captain
to reel in the nets.

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Oh, wow. So you can see the fish
starting to come in.

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They’re opening up the nets?

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Oh, wow.

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♪ ♪

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♪ ♪

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Okay, and this is essentially
what they have

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the actual license
to be fishing right now,

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is the shrimp.

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I mean, I grew up
eating this, you know,

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this is called lagostim
in Portugal.

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I grew up eating
this kind of shrimp.

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PETER: Here the shrimp
is maybe not even 1/10

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of what the catch is, right?

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And that's pretty typical
of a shrimp fishery,

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this enormous amount of bycatch.

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MARIANA:
Bycatch refers to the fish

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00:13:13,002 --> 00:13:16,630
or other marine species
that are caught unintentionally

251
00:13:16,630 --> 00:13:19,383
while fishing
for a specific target.

252
00:13:19,383 --> 00:13:22,970
In this case, shrimp.

253
00:13:22,970 --> 00:13:24,722
To me, you know,
looking at some of these

254
00:13:24,722 --> 00:13:27,224
and knowing that each
of these shrimp in Portugal

255
00:13:27,224 --> 00:13:28,267
on a plate at a restaurant,

256
00:13:28,267 --> 00:13:30,811
they can sell
for about 20 euros each,

257
00:13:30,811 --> 00:13:33,356
and you can see the amount
of money that can be made,

258
00:13:33,356 --> 00:13:35,608
not by these guys,
but by the big bosses, right?

259
00:13:35,608 --> 00:13:38,861
The people that are actually
making the money from, you know,

260
00:13:38,861 --> 00:13:41,155
thousands and thousands
and thousands of dollars

261
00:13:41,155 --> 00:13:43,824
that we’re seeing worth
of shrimp on this boat.

262
00:13:43,824 --> 00:13:47,369
PETER: And here these guys
are making $150 a month.

263
00:13:47,369 --> 00:13:51,832
This is not‐‐like, the economics
of this does not trickle down.

264
00:13:51,832 --> 00:13:54,085
MARIANA: It's an ugly reality,

265
00:13:54,085 --> 00:13:57,338
but still no sign
of illegal activity.

266
00:13:57,338 --> 00:14:00,049
So, I make my way
down to the cargo hold,

267
00:14:00,049 --> 00:14:03,094
where the catch
is frozen and kept.

268
00:14:03,094 --> 00:14:06,972
So, it says cangrejos, crab;
gamba, shrimp;

269
00:14:06,972 --> 00:14:11,185
and, uh, captured in the
Atlantic, so very, very vague.

270
00:14:11,185 --> 00:14:13,395
And then heading
towards Vigo, España,

271
00:14:13,395 --> 00:14:14,772
and it says the importer...

272
00:14:14,772 --> 00:14:15,815
yeah, which is a Spanish name.

273
00:14:15,815 --> 00:14:17,149
Have you heard of this company?

274
00:14:17,149 --> 00:14:19,527
WOMAN: Yeah, yeah.
We've heard of them before.

275
00:14:19,527 --> 00:14:24,782
Based in Vigo, which is a city
in Galicia, a region of Spain.

276
00:14:24,782 --> 00:14:27,493
PETER: You could tell
the captain was a bit evasive.

277
00:14:27,493 --> 00:14:29,995
He didn't want to say that
the real ownership of the vessel

278
00:14:29,995 --> 00:14:31,247
is in Spain.

279
00:14:31,247 --> 00:14:33,916
There's Spanish language
documents on the bridge,

280
00:14:33,916 --> 00:14:36,460
there's documentation
on the cartons of fish

281
00:14:36,460 --> 00:14:39,004
that everything’s
being exported to Spain.

282
00:14:39,004 --> 00:14:40,840
To Vigo, Spain,
which is Galicia,

283
00:14:40,840 --> 00:14:44,510
which is really the heart of
fishing in Spain, in particular.

284
00:14:44,510 --> 00:14:47,388
MARIANA: And yet,
despite Peter's suspicions,

285
00:14:47,388 --> 00:14:50,266
there's no evidence
of illegal activity.

286
00:14:50,266 --> 00:14:55,104
PETER: Today the Liberian Coast
Guard has to let this ship go.

287
00:14:55,104 --> 00:14:57,273
MARIANA: So the nets
of the Kanbal III

288
00:14:57,273 --> 00:14:59,733
will soon be back in the water.

289
00:14:59,733 --> 00:15:02,570
♪ ♪

290
00:15:02,570 --> 00:15:05,447
I spent almost a week
on the Sea Shepherd

291
00:15:05,447 --> 00:15:09,076
and learned one of the great
ironies of the fishing world‐‐

292
00:15:09,076 --> 00:15:12,913
that despite the fact that
almost 20% of our seafood

293
00:15:12,913 --> 00:15:14,874
comes from the black market,

294
00:15:14,874 --> 00:15:19,128
it’s nearly impossible
to catch anyone red‐handed.

295
00:15:19,128 --> 00:15:20,754
But I’m not giving up.

296
00:15:20,754 --> 00:15:22,756
I'm determined to find my way

297
00:15:22,756 --> 00:15:25,676
inside this world
of illegal fishing.

298
00:15:33,601 --> 00:15:36,478
PAUL WOODS: Yeah, this is
the global footprint of fishing,

299
00:15:36,478 --> 00:15:38,063
mostly industrial fishing.

300
00:15:38,063 --> 00:15:39,565
MARIANA: That's all the green
that I'm seeing right here,

301
00:15:39,565 --> 00:15:40,566
all these little green squares?

302
00:15:40,566 --> 00:15:41,650
PAUL: Yeah, each one of these

303
00:15:41,650 --> 00:15:42,735
is an area where vessels
are fishing.

304
00:15:42,735 --> 00:15:43,903
MARIANA: Uh‐huh.

305
00:15:43,903 --> 00:15:46,280
PAUL: There’s 50,000
vessels out there.

306
00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:47,406
MARIANA: 50,000?
PAUL: Doing, yeah.

307
00:15:47,406 --> 00:15:48,407
MARIANA: Industrial, commercial?

308
00:15:48,407 --> 00:15:49,491
PAUL: Yeah, just the big ones.

309
00:15:49,491 --> 00:15:50,784
MARIANA: 50,000?

310
00:15:50,784 --> 00:15:53,162
PAUL: Yeah, right.
50,000 vessels around the world.

311
00:15:53,162 --> 00:15:57,082
MARIANA: Perhaps as much as 20%
of seafood brought into the U. S.

312
00:15:57,082 --> 00:15:59,126
comes from the black market.

313
00:15:59,126 --> 00:16:02,713
Yet, I’m still searching
for a way inside.

314
00:16:02,713 --> 00:16:06,175
I’m hoping Paul Woods can
point me in the right direction.

315
00:16:06,175 --> 00:16:08,761
He's the co‐founder
of Global Fishing Watch,

316
00:16:08,761 --> 00:16:12,389
a non‐profit that uses
state‐of‐the‐art data analysis

317
00:16:12,389 --> 00:16:15,517
to monitor fishing vessels
around the world.

318
00:16:15,517 --> 00:16:19,146
So if you are doing
illegal activities out at sea,

319
00:16:19,146 --> 00:16:21,607
what are the chances you'll
actually be caught, in general?

320
00:16:21,607 --> 00:16:23,609
PAUL: In well‐regulated
countries,

321
00:16:23,609 --> 00:16:25,027
there’s a good chance
you’ll get caught.

322
00:16:25,027 --> 00:16:28,239
This is clear because
the U. S. is good at managing.

323
00:16:28,239 --> 00:16:30,324
In Hawaii there’s lots
of fish out here,

324
00:16:30,324 --> 00:16:33,077
but they, uh, the, you know,
the U. S. Navy keeps them out.

325
00:16:33,077 --> 00:16:35,412
Whereas, uh, in Africa,
in West Africa,

326
00:16:35,412 --> 00:16:38,999
all the foreign fleets,
Spain and China, Korea, Japan,

327
00:16:38,999 --> 00:16:41,043
and the United States,
you know,

328
00:16:41,043 --> 00:16:42,253
they all just fish in there,

329
00:16:42,253 --> 00:16:44,088
and they're not,
they don't keep them out,

330
00:16:44,088 --> 00:16:45,464
because they’re not good
at keeping them out.

331
00:16:45,464 --> 00:16:48,801
We've had issues where
we've seen vessels on the map

332
00:16:48,801 --> 00:16:50,594
doing something
we know is illegal,

333
00:16:50,594 --> 00:16:53,555
we report it to the authorities,
and we tell them,

334
00:16:53,555 --> 00:16:55,516
"This vessel is fishing
in your waters,

335
00:16:55,516 --> 00:16:58,435
it’s not on your registry list,
it's clearly illegal,"

336
00:16:58,435 --> 00:16:59,895
and then we find out

337
00:16:59,895 --> 00:17:02,731
that they were retroactively
granted a license to fish.

338
00:17:02,731 --> 00:17:04,483
So this happens routinely.

339
00:17:04,483 --> 00:17:06,193
MARIANA: Hmm. And why
do you think that is?

340
00:17:06,193 --> 00:17:09,238
PAUL: Uh, well, because there's,
there's money to be made

341
00:17:09,238 --> 00:17:12,866
in, uh, fishing
and, uh, licensing fishing.

342
00:17:12,866 --> 00:17:15,619
You know, and that is,
you know, more powerful

343
00:17:15,619 --> 00:17:19,498
than the need to keep
the fishery sustainable.

344
00:17:19,498 --> 00:17:21,542
MARIANA: How frustrating
is it for you?

345
00:17:21,542 --> 00:17:23,961
PAUL: Uh, it’s,
it’s pretty frustrating.

346
00:17:23,961 --> 00:17:29,133
What you need is
for the fishers to know

347
00:17:29,133 --> 00:17:31,719
that eventually, even if they're
not caught in the act,

348
00:17:31,719 --> 00:17:34,888
they’re going to, you know,
face consequences

349
00:17:34,888 --> 00:17:37,308
for breaking the rules.

350
00:17:37,308 --> 00:17:40,269
MARIANA: But right now,
that’s not happening.

351
00:17:40,269 --> 00:17:42,146
In fact, the criminals are using

352
00:17:42,146 --> 00:17:46,275
the globalized nature of
the industry to their advantage.

353
00:17:46,275 --> 00:17:47,818
PAUL: The vessel fishes
in one country,

354
00:17:47,818 --> 00:17:49,653
it lands the catch
in another country,

355
00:17:49,653 --> 00:17:50,988
it's flagged in a third country,

356
00:17:50,988 --> 00:17:52,489
and it’s owned by someone
in a fourth country,

357
00:17:52,489 --> 00:17:54,033
and that’s where
all the money goes.

358
00:17:54,033 --> 00:17:56,285
So how can you even police it?

359
00:17:56,285 --> 00:17:59,955
There's four countries involved
that all have to cooperate

360
00:17:59,955 --> 00:18:04,293
in order to actually create
consequences for that owner

361
00:18:04,293 --> 00:18:06,920
for their illegal actions
that happen on the water.

362
00:18:06,920 --> 00:18:09,381
MARIANA: That's why
some shipowners take advantage

363
00:18:09,381 --> 00:18:12,134
of what's called
"flags of convenience."

364
00:18:12,134 --> 00:18:14,386
They register their vessel
in a foreign country

365
00:18:14,386 --> 00:18:16,180
with limited oversight,

366
00:18:16,180 --> 00:18:19,224
often as a way to skirt
regulations at home

367
00:18:19,224 --> 00:18:21,352
or avoid detection abroad.

368
00:18:21,352 --> 00:18:24,438
PAUL:
It’s a global supply chain.

369
00:18:24,438 --> 00:18:26,106
Everything gets mingled
and flows around.

370
00:18:26,106 --> 00:18:29,401
So once, once it comes off
the boat and goes into that,

371
00:18:29,401 --> 00:18:31,320
it’s really hard to trace.

372
00:18:31,320 --> 00:18:37,368
♪ ♪

373
00:18:37,368 --> 00:18:40,079
♪ ♪

374
00:18:40,079 --> 00:18:42,039
MARIANA: The shrimp I saw
on the Kanbal III

375
00:18:42,039 --> 00:18:44,249
is bound for Vigo, Spain,

376
00:18:44,249 --> 00:18:47,211
home to the largest
fishing port in Europe.

377
00:18:49,838 --> 00:18:53,759
Every year, more than
700,000 tons of catch

378
00:18:53,759 --> 00:18:55,594
are offloaded here.

379
00:18:55,594 --> 00:18:58,681
The fish are sorted,
sold and distributed

380
00:18:58,681 --> 00:19:02,434
to countries around the globe,
including the U. S.

381
00:19:02,434 --> 00:19:04,478
It’s a massive operation.

382
00:19:04,478 --> 00:19:11,110
High‐tech, spotlessly clean,
rigorously controlled.

383
00:19:11,110 --> 00:19:15,114
Every crate of fish is weighed,
catalogued, and barcoded,

384
00:19:15,114 --> 00:19:18,826
so buyers know exactly
when and where it was caught.

385
00:19:18,826 --> 00:19:21,829
(speaking Spanish)

386
00:19:21,829 --> 00:19:25,416
MARIANA:
That’s the theory, anyway.

387
00:19:25,416 --> 00:19:29,670
In reality, any one of the
hundreds of species on sale here

388
00:19:29,670 --> 00:19:31,338
could have been
transferred at sea

389
00:19:31,338 --> 00:19:33,465
from an illegal fishing vessel

390
00:19:33,465 --> 00:19:35,342
to a vessel carrying
the paperwork

391
00:19:35,342 --> 00:19:38,011
to make its cargo
look legitimate.

392
00:19:38,011 --> 00:19:41,140
(speaking Spanish)

393
00:19:41,140 --> 00:19:43,225
MARIANA: Once the contraband
fish has been mixed

394
00:19:43,225 --> 00:19:45,894
with a legal catch
in a ship's freezers,

395
00:19:45,894 --> 00:19:49,064
it’s impossible
to tell them apart.

396
00:19:49,064 --> 00:19:52,067
It's one common way
that illegal seafood

397
00:19:52,067 --> 00:19:56,238
gets laundered
into the legal supply chain.

398
00:19:56,238 --> 00:19:58,907
But I haven’t come
to Spain for the fish.

399
00:19:58,907 --> 00:20:02,327
I’ve come for the fishermen.

400
00:20:02,327 --> 00:20:08,250
The ones that have given Galicia
its rather notorious reputation.

401
00:20:08,250 --> 00:20:12,296
PETER: Galicia has always been
a smuggling portal for Europe.

402
00:20:12,296 --> 00:20:14,882
They've been involved in
trafficking not just of fish,

403
00:20:14,882 --> 00:20:17,259
but of drugs and tobacco

404
00:20:17,259 --> 00:20:19,803
and other illicit
products as well.

405
00:20:19,803 --> 00:20:22,264
The companies behind vessels
involved in the poaching

406
00:20:22,264 --> 00:20:24,808
of Patagonian
and Antarctic toothfish,

407
00:20:24,808 --> 00:20:28,020
they’re known
as the Galician Mafia.

408
00:20:28,020 --> 00:20:29,313
MARIANA: I want to find someone

409
00:20:29,313 --> 00:20:32,024
who's worked
on these illegal vessels

410
00:20:32,024 --> 00:20:37,237
and knows the secrets
of this dirty trade firsthand.

411
00:20:37,237 --> 00:20:40,824
After asking around a bit,
I meet a retired fisherman

412
00:20:40,824 --> 00:20:43,869
who says he’ll
give it to me straight.

413
00:20:57,466 --> 00:21:00,552
♪ ♪

414
00:21:18,278 --> 00:21:20,781
MARIANA: Perico is
a retired fisherman.

415
00:21:20,781 --> 00:21:24,701
He says he spent 35 years
working on Spanish vessels

416
00:21:24,701 --> 00:21:26,995
in the frigid North Atlantic.

417
00:21:26,995 --> 00:21:29,373
Perico tells me
that his career at sea

418
00:21:29,373 --> 00:21:32,376
was marked by constant
illegal activity.

419
00:21:44,429 --> 00:21:45,514
MARIANA: Mm‐hmm.

420
00:22:31,351 --> 00:22:32,811
MARIANA: But when I press Perico

421
00:22:32,811 --> 00:22:36,732
for the names of the worst
offenders, he clams up.

422
00:22:44,448 --> 00:22:45,449
MARIANA: Mm‐hmm.

423
00:22:47,910 --> 00:22:49,703
MARIANA: And there’s the rub.

424
00:22:49,703 --> 00:22:54,166
Spanish fishing is,
at its heart, a family business.

425
00:22:54,166 --> 00:23:00,923
A very big family business
that keeps its secrets close.

426
00:23:00,923 --> 00:23:03,800
But then, a new lead.

427
00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:06,136
Remember the Bandit 6?

428
00:23:06,136 --> 00:23:09,222
One of which the Sea Shepherd
chased for 110 days

429
00:23:09,222 --> 00:23:12,517
before the captain
purposely sank his boat?

430
00:23:12,517 --> 00:23:16,146
Well, I was able to connect
with a local journalist

431
00:23:16,146 --> 00:23:19,316
who has access to
a treasure trove of documents

432
00:23:19,316 --> 00:23:22,027
relating to the investigation
of those vessels

433
00:23:22,027 --> 00:23:24,529
and the ensuing court case.

434
00:23:24,529 --> 00:23:26,198
If I want to find a source

435
00:23:26,198 --> 00:23:28,450
deeper in this
illegal fishing world,

436
00:23:28,450 --> 00:23:31,161
this could be my chance.

437
00:23:31,161 --> 00:23:34,373
How does the fact that
we're talking about these,

438
00:23:34,373 --> 00:23:35,958
you know, very wealthy companies

439
00:23:35,958 --> 00:23:39,002
with fleets of boats
and fancy websites

440
00:23:39,002 --> 00:23:41,964
and a lot of lawyers, how does
that complicate matters for you

441
00:23:41,964 --> 00:23:45,133
in terms of being a journalist
and investigating this?

442
00:23:45,133 --> 00:23:47,970
MAN: I have to be careful,
and, uh...

443
00:23:51,223 --> 00:23:52,265
MARIANA: Can you tell me
a little bit

444
00:23:52,265 --> 00:23:54,142
about what all these
documents are?

445
00:23:54,142 --> 00:23:56,645
MAN: Those documents
are the outcome

446
00:23:56,645 --> 00:23:59,690
of the, probably
the best investigation

447
00:23:59,690 --> 00:24:01,066
on illegal fishing.

448
00:24:01,066 --> 00:24:02,693
8,000 pages.

449
00:24:02,693 --> 00:24:03,902
MARIANA: 8,000 pages?

450
00:24:03,902 --> 00:24:05,445
MAN: 8,000 pages.

451
00:24:05,445 --> 00:24:08,490
The investigation
was led by Interpol,

452
00:24:08,490 --> 00:24:11,868
together with
the Spanish Guardia Civil,

453
00:24:11,868 --> 00:24:13,120
on the Bandit 6.

454
00:24:13,120 --> 00:24:14,454
MARIANA: I mean, they were
caught red‐handed.

455
00:24:14,454 --> 00:24:16,039
There's plenty of evidence
that they were,

456
00:24:16,039 --> 00:24:18,125
what they were doing
was illegal, right?

457
00:24:18,125 --> 00:24:21,795
MAN: Everything is proved here,
in all the documents,

458
00:24:21,795 --> 00:24:25,882
that those Bandit 6
were committing crimes.

459
00:24:25,882 --> 00:24:28,635
MARIANA: Incredibly,
the Spanish Supreme Court

460
00:24:28,635 --> 00:24:32,681
overturned the case against
the shipowners of the Bandit 6.

461
00:24:32,681 --> 00:24:34,016
They decided that,

462
00:24:34,016 --> 00:24:36,727
while the Bandit 6
did commit illegal activity,

463
00:24:36,727 --> 00:24:39,104
the courts did not have
jurisdiction,

464
00:24:39,104 --> 00:24:41,523
because those
illegal acts occurred

465
00:24:41,523 --> 00:24:44,651
in international waters.

466
00:24:44,651 --> 00:24:46,903
MAN: Here, we have
all the coordinators

467
00:24:46,903 --> 00:24:49,865
of the fishing activities
from Galicia.

468
00:24:49,865 --> 00:24:51,700
MARIANA: Wow. So, these
are the names and contacts?

469
00:24:51,700 --> 00:24:52,993
MAN: Yeah.
MARIANA: All the coordinators?

470
00:24:52,993 --> 00:24:54,161
MAN: That’s it. That's it.

471
00:24:54,161 --> 00:24:55,537
MARIANA: Wow, this is great.

472
00:24:55,537 --> 00:24:57,122
MAN: And in this all documents,

473
00:24:57,122 --> 00:24:59,666
you have all the phone numbers
and some emails of those guys.

474
00:24:59,666 --> 00:25:01,126
So you can try.

475
00:25:01,126 --> 00:25:03,295
MARIANA: So they’ve all
actually been indicted, these?

476
00:25:03,295 --> 00:25:07,132
MAN: Yeah. We have the name
of some offshore companies

477
00:25:07,132 --> 00:25:10,719
used by those guys
of the Bandit 6.

478
00:25:10,719 --> 00:25:12,721
MARIANA: There’s evidence of
money laundering in this one.

479
00:25:12,721 --> 00:25:14,347
MAN: Yeah, no doubt about it.

480
00:25:14,347 --> 00:25:15,974
MARIANA: And here
you have the whole list

481
00:25:15,974 --> 00:25:18,518
of the crewmen from this boat.

482
00:25:18,518 --> 00:25:22,481
You have the captain,
the chief engineer, the cook,

483
00:25:22,481 --> 00:25:24,357
and then all the officers.

484
00:25:24,357 --> 00:25:26,777
There’s phone numbers
for this one, too.

485
00:25:26,777 --> 00:25:32,449
Passport numbers,
lots of photos, bank accounts.

486
00:25:32,449 --> 00:25:34,576
There’s just so much here.

487
00:25:34,576 --> 00:25:37,329
You see that the chief engineer
and the officer and the captain

488
00:25:37,329 --> 00:25:39,456
are all Spanish.

489
00:25:39,456 --> 00:25:42,375
And there are Spanish numbers
associated with them.

490
00:25:42,375 --> 00:25:44,002
This is big‐‐

491
00:25:44,002 --> 00:25:46,004
lists of names and numbers

492
00:25:46,004 --> 00:25:49,216
of people directly involved
in the Bandit 6

493
00:25:49,216 --> 00:25:54,221
and who might know what illegal
activities are still ongoing.

494
00:25:54,221 --> 00:25:56,306
(phone ringing)

495
00:26:12,030 --> 00:26:14,157
(beep beep beep)

496
00:26:14,157 --> 00:26:15,742
MARIANA: Calling another person

497
00:26:15,742 --> 00:26:18,370
that we know worked
one of the Bandit 6 boats.

498
00:26:30,090 --> 00:26:31,508
(beep beep beep)

499
00:26:31,508 --> 00:26:32,384
MARIANA: He hung up.

500
00:26:39,224 --> 00:26:40,350
MARIANA: Okay.

501
00:26:40,350 --> 00:26:42,602
MAN: No, no, no, no, no. No, no.

502
00:26:42,602 --> 00:26:43,728
(ringing)

503
00:26:43,728 --> 00:26:44,938
MARIANA:
Pick up, pick up, pick up.

504
00:26:50,819 --> 00:26:51,945
MARIANA: Two and half hours now,

505
00:26:51,945 --> 00:26:53,655
we’ve been making
call after call.

506
00:26:53,655 --> 00:26:54,656
(ringing)

507
00:27:20,599 --> 00:27:21,808
¿Hola?

508
00:27:36,489 --> 00:27:40,911
MARIANA: So, today,
this afternoon, here in Vigo.

509
00:27:40,911 --> 00:27:41,786
Great.

510
00:27:44,623 --> 00:27:47,417
I finally secured
a face‐to‐face meeting

511
00:27:47,417 --> 00:27:51,212
with a former crew member
from a Bandit 6 fishing boat.

512
00:27:51,212 --> 00:27:55,050
He’s texted me a location
on the outskirts of the city.

513
00:27:58,762 --> 00:28:00,430
I think this is it.

514
00:28:00,430 --> 00:28:02,140
Okay, here we are.

515
00:28:02,140 --> 00:28:04,851
♪ ♪

516
00:28:04,851 --> 00:28:06,311
I think it’s here.

517
00:28:06,311 --> 00:28:12,609
♪ ♪

518
00:28:12,609 --> 00:28:18,865
♪ ♪

519
00:28:18,865 --> 00:28:25,121
♪ ♪

520
00:28:25,121 --> 00:28:30,335
♪ ♪

521
00:28:30,335 --> 00:28:31,795
¿Hola?

522
00:28:31,795 --> 00:28:34,381
♪ ♪

523
00:28:34,381 --> 00:28:35,507
¿Hola?

524
00:28:35,507 --> 00:28:39,094
♪ ♪

525
00:28:43,348 --> 00:28:46,226
♪ ♪

526
00:29:06,955 --> 00:29:08,415
MARIANA:
The man I'm talking to‐‐

527
00:29:08,415 --> 00:29:10,125
we’ll call him Luis‐‐

528
00:29:10,125 --> 00:29:13,044
spent time working on one
of the Bandit 6 boats,

529
00:29:13,044 --> 00:29:15,630
as well as dozens
of other Spanish vessels

530
00:29:15,630 --> 00:29:17,215
throughout his career.

531
00:29:17,215 --> 00:29:20,844
He's my key to understanding
how illegal fishing works

532
00:29:20,844 --> 00:29:22,846
at an international level.

533
00:30:12,854 --> 00:30:13,897
MARIANA: Wow.

534
00:30:19,486 --> 00:30:22,447
MARIANA: We have no knowledge
that any of the ships we boarded

535
00:30:22,447 --> 00:30:25,867
had double bottoms
or illegal nets.

536
00:30:25,867 --> 00:30:28,828
But it sounds like that was
standard operating procedure

537
00:30:28,828 --> 00:30:31,956
on the Spanish ships
that Luis worked on.

538
00:30:31,956 --> 00:30:35,960
And that wasn’t the only way
they skirted regulations.

539
00:31:38,731 --> 00:31:39,691
MARIANA: Mm‐hmm.

540
00:32:13,725 --> 00:32:14,809
MARIANA: Mm‐hmm.

541
00:32:17,854 --> 00:32:20,732
Luis explains that within
the fishing industry,

542
00:32:20,732 --> 00:32:24,152
it’s the shipowners who have
the power to make change.

543
00:32:24,152 --> 00:32:25,904
But those are the same folks

544
00:32:25,904 --> 00:32:28,948
who are profiting the most
off the status quo.

545
00:32:57,477 --> 00:32:58,811
MARIANA: He’s right.

546
00:32:58,811 --> 00:33:00,480
The real issue is not the need

547
00:33:00,480 --> 00:33:03,900
for more regulations
or enforcement.

548
00:33:03,900 --> 00:33:08,738
It’s our relationship
to the oceans themselves.

549
00:33:08,738 --> 00:33:12,700
I've been so focused on trying
to understand the black market‐‐

550
00:33:12,700 --> 00:33:14,077
boat owners exploiting

551
00:33:14,077 --> 00:33:16,829
a disorganized
international system,

552
00:33:16,829 --> 00:33:19,207
fishermen using altered nets,

553
00:33:19,207 --> 00:33:22,335
captains turning off
AIS trackers‐‐

554
00:33:22,335 --> 00:33:24,754
that I’ve overlooked
the obvious.

555
00:33:24,754 --> 00:33:30,093
A bigger, more devastating truth
about industrial fishing.

556
00:33:30,093 --> 00:33:34,889
SYLVIA EARLE: The impact of
illegal fishing is enormous,

557
00:33:34,889 --> 00:33:38,476
but it is relatively small

558
00:33:38,476 --> 00:33:43,898
compared to the impact
of legal fishing.

559
00:33:43,898 --> 00:33:46,192
MARIANA: Sylvia Earle
is an oceanographer

560
00:33:46,192 --> 00:33:48,444
and the founder of Mission Blue,

561
00:33:48,444 --> 00:33:52,198
a non‐profit dedicated
to protecting our oceans.

562
00:33:52,198 --> 00:33:55,076
She doesn't mince words
when it comes to her opinions

563
00:33:55,076 --> 00:33:57,370
about the global
fishing industry.

564
00:33:57,370 --> 00:34:03,334
SYLVIA: This is the biggest
wildlife trade on the planet.

565
00:34:03,334 --> 00:34:06,129
We’re waging war on the ocean.

566
00:34:06,129 --> 00:34:08,923
And we're doing it
with a big smile on our face,

567
00:34:08,923 --> 00:34:13,594
thinking, "This is great.
We have technologies now

568
00:34:13,594 --> 00:34:15,680
that can go to places
we couldn't go before,

569
00:34:15,680 --> 00:34:19,017
finding fish that were
not accessible before."

570
00:34:21,185 --> 00:34:24,063
MARIANA: Her words echo
so much of what I've seen

571
00:34:24,063 --> 00:34:26,232
over the last few months.

572
00:34:26,232 --> 00:34:28,401
PETER: Shrimp is
maybe not even 1/10

573
00:34:28,401 --> 00:34:29,777
of what the catch is, right?

574
00:34:29,777 --> 00:34:32,447
And that's pretty typical
of a shrimp fishery,

575
00:34:32,447 --> 00:34:35,325
this enormous amount of bycatch.

576
00:34:35,325 --> 00:34:36,701
I, I always refer to bycatch

577
00:34:36,701 --> 00:34:39,746
as the invisible victims
of industrial fishing.

578
00:34:39,746 --> 00:34:43,499
MARIANA: The invisible victims
of industrial fishing.

579
00:34:43,499 --> 00:34:46,002
In other words,
a waste of animal life

580
00:34:46,002 --> 00:34:49,589
like I’ve never seen before.

581
00:34:49,589 --> 00:34:53,718
It's difficult to watch
and even harder to fathom

582
00:34:53,718 --> 00:34:58,222
that it's all legal,
happening every day and night

583
00:34:58,222 --> 00:35:00,933
on trawlers around the globe.

584
00:35:00,933 --> 00:35:02,352
<i>NEWS ANCHOR:</i>
<i>The stocks of tropical tuna</i>

585
00:35:02,352 --> 00:35:04,979
<i>in the Indian Ocean</i>
<i>have been overfished.</i>

586
00:35:04,979 --> 00:35:07,065
<i>NEWS ANCHOR: Human exploitation</i>
<i>of the world's oceans</i>

587
00:35:07,065 --> 00:35:08,608
<i>is passing the point</i>
<i>of no return.</i>

588
00:35:08,608 --> 00:35:09,942
<i>ANNOUNCER: Endless Shrimp.</i>

589
00:35:09,942 --> 00:35:11,402
<i>It's as much as you like,</i>
<i>any way you like.</i>

590
00:35:11,402 --> 00:35:13,071
<i>NEWS ANCHOR: A huge wealth</i>
<i>of creatures and habitats</i>

591
00:35:13,071 --> 00:35:16,115
<i>are under threat,</i>
<i>decimated by overfishing.</i>

592
00:35:16,115 --> 00:35:18,451
<i>ANNOUNCER: Our awesome,</i>
<i>mouthwatering snow crab dinner,</i>

593
00:35:18,451 --> 00:35:19,452
<i>for only $9.99.</i>

594
00:35:19,452 --> 00:35:20,870
<i>ANNOUNCER:</i>
<i>Have it all this summer</i>

595
00:35:20,870 --> 00:35:22,330
<i>with the Crab Daddy Feast.</i>

596
00:35:38,680 --> 00:35:41,307
PAUL: Industrial and commercial
fishing is scaled up so much

597
00:35:41,307 --> 00:35:45,228
that it really is a lot more
like mining than fishing.

598
00:35:45,228 --> 00:35:46,938
These nets are enormous.

599
00:35:46,938 --> 00:35:48,564
And they just take everything.

600
00:35:48,564 --> 00:35:53,945
All the fish within a kilometer
out of the water all at once.

601
00:35:53,945 --> 00:35:59,784
You’re literally mining
the ocean of fish, of all life.

602
00:35:59,784 --> 00:36:02,453
SYLVIA: We have the capacity
to deplete wildlife

603
00:36:02,453 --> 00:36:08,292
on a scale
that is unprecedented.

604
00:36:08,292 --> 00:36:11,546
Technology is available
to almost everyone everywhere

605
00:36:11,546 --> 00:36:15,466
to find, capture, consume,
or market ocean wildlife

606
00:36:15,466 --> 00:36:17,260
on a scale that is simply,

607
00:36:17,260 --> 00:36:20,096
no matter how you want
to measure it,

608
00:36:20,096 --> 00:36:23,391
it’s not sustainable.

609
00:36:23,391 --> 00:36:26,477
MARIANA: It’s this future
that has me worried.

610
00:36:26,477 --> 00:36:29,355
But even today, there are
plenty of warning signs

611
00:36:29,355 --> 00:36:31,315
if you know where to look.

612
00:36:31,315 --> 00:36:34,819
The experts I spoke with pointed
me to the coast of Ghana,

613
00:36:34,819 --> 00:36:37,530
where a local fishing community
has been transformed

614
00:36:37,530 --> 00:36:40,366
in ways I’m told
I won’t believe.

615
00:36:40,366 --> 00:36:42,410
♪ ♪

616
00:36:42,410 --> 00:36:43,369
(beep)
(woman shouts)

617
00:36:51,586 --> 00:36:57,633
♪ ♪

618
00:36:57,633 --> 00:36:59,302
♪ ♪

619
00:36:59,302 --> 00:37:00,970
MARIANA: We got a call
late last night

620
00:37:00,970 --> 00:37:03,681
saying to be at the port
at 5 a. m. this morning

621
00:37:03,681 --> 00:37:07,977
because they had something
that they wanted to show us.

622
00:37:07,977 --> 00:37:09,520
Um...

623
00:37:09,520 --> 00:37:13,399
we're still not sure what
we'll be able to film or see,

624
00:37:13,399 --> 00:37:17,069
but all we know is that
we're meeting this person

625
00:37:17,069 --> 00:37:20,031
in about five minutes.

626
00:37:20,031 --> 00:37:23,743
The call came from a local
fisherman turned crime boss

627
00:37:23,743 --> 00:37:26,871
who's known simply
as the Chairman.

628
00:37:26,871 --> 00:37:29,457
I was introduced to him
by a contact of mine,

629
00:37:29,457 --> 00:37:32,668
but the Chairman has been
difficult to pin down.

630
00:37:35,505 --> 00:37:39,425
I see a couple of boats
with lights here.

631
00:37:39,425 --> 00:37:41,511
People working inside.
Let's check.

632
00:37:41,511 --> 00:37:42,804
(unbuckles seatbelt)

633
00:37:47,391 --> 00:37:48,267
(car door slams)

634
00:37:51,062 --> 00:37:57,360
♪ ♪

635
00:37:57,360 --> 00:38:01,405
♪ ♪

636
00:38:01,405 --> 00:38:02,824
Over here?

637
00:38:02,824 --> 00:38:03,950
♪ ♪

638
00:38:03,950 --> 00:38:04,951
(man talking)

639
00:38:04,951 --> 00:38:06,577
MARIANA: Is this it?

640
00:38:06,577 --> 00:38:08,496
(man talking)

641
00:38:10,748 --> 00:38:11,833
MARIANA: I guess this is it.

642
00:38:11,833 --> 00:38:13,251
Yeah, come in?

643
00:38:16,921 --> 00:38:20,550
Looks like that’s
the Chairman on the phone.

644
00:38:20,550 --> 00:38:22,426
His name is Justice.

645
00:38:25,429 --> 00:38:27,849
MARIANA: Yeah, very fast.
We're very fast.

646
00:38:27,849 --> 00:38:29,475
Okay, we have to go, guys!

647
00:38:29,475 --> 00:38:33,104
♪ ♪

648
00:38:33,104 --> 00:38:34,814
We pass by one fishing boat

649
00:38:34,814 --> 00:38:39,402
that strangely doesn’t have
any fishing gear.

650
00:38:39,402 --> 00:38:42,238
They are clearly unhappy
about our cameras.

651
00:38:42,238 --> 00:38:47,034
♪ ♪

652
00:38:47,034 --> 00:38:49,871
♪ ♪

653
00:38:49,871 --> 00:38:53,624
This is one of the boats
that came out from sea today?

654
00:38:53,624 --> 00:38:55,209
Can we stop there
and talk to them?

655
00:38:55,209 --> 00:38:58,880
It’s another fishing boat,
again with no fishing gear.

656
00:39:01,799 --> 00:39:08,598
♪ ♪

657
00:39:08,598 --> 00:39:11,100
MARIANA: Oh, wow.

658
00:39:11,100 --> 00:39:12,268
Look at that.

659
00:39:12,268 --> 00:39:17,356
It’s all big blocks
of frozen fish.

660
00:39:17,356 --> 00:39:19,942
So the whole boat is fill,
is all full of that?

661
00:39:19,942 --> 00:39:22,361
CHAIRMAN: Yes.

662
00:39:22,361 --> 00:39:25,072
MARIANA: These Ghanaians
used to fish for themselves,

663
00:39:25,072 --> 00:39:27,074
but an influx
of foreign trawlers

664
00:39:27,074 --> 00:39:29,619
has caused fish stocks
to plummet.

665
00:39:29,619 --> 00:39:33,080
So, now, in a perverse twist
of their livelihood,

666
00:39:33,080 --> 00:39:36,792
these fishermen go out to sea
and buy blocks of fish

667
00:39:36,792 --> 00:39:40,922
that have been caught and frozen
by the trawlers themselves.

668
00:39:42,006 --> 00:39:43,007
This came out from the sea?

669
00:39:43,007 --> 00:39:44,216
CHAIRMAN: Yeah.

670
00:39:44,216 --> 00:39:45,509
MARIANA: From the trawlers?
CHAIRMAN: Yeah.

671
00:39:46,802 --> 00:39:48,137
MARIANA: Yeah.

672
00:39:48,137 --> 00:39:49,597
So they would throw it away,
and instead...

673
00:39:49,597 --> 00:39:50,848
CHAIRMAN: Yeah.

674
00:39:50,848 --> 00:39:52,141
MARIANA: ...the fishermen
go out and pick it.

675
00:39:52,141 --> 00:39:53,392
CHAIRMAN: Yeah.

676
00:39:53,392 --> 00:39:55,645
MARIANA: How far
are the Chinese vessels?

677
00:39:55,645 --> 00:39:56,687
CHAIRMAN: 12 hours.

678
00:39:56,687 --> 00:39:58,856
MARIANA: 12 hours to get there?

679
00:40:00,650 --> 00:40:03,027
Through forces
beyond his control,

680
00:40:03,027 --> 00:40:06,405
the Chairman has been dragged
into an illegal seafood trade

681
00:40:06,405 --> 00:40:08,658
known as Saiko.

682
00:40:10,868 --> 00:40:12,787
You have been working
as a fisherman

683
00:40:12,787 --> 00:40:14,538
for a very long time.

684
00:40:14,538 --> 00:40:16,082
MARIANA: You’re originally
an artisanal fisher.

685
00:40:16,082 --> 00:40:17,208
CHAIRMAN: Yeah, yeah.

686
00:40:17,208 --> 00:40:19,669
MARIANA: And so,
since this is illegal,

687
00:40:19,669 --> 00:40:21,712
why did you agree to talk to us?

688
00:40:21,712 --> 00:40:22,588
CHAIRMAN: Well...

689
00:40:27,009 --> 00:40:28,135
MARIANA: It’s not.

690
00:40:29,845 --> 00:40:31,013
MARIANA: Right, that it
helps a lot of people.

691
00:40:31,013 --> 00:40:32,056
CHAIRMAN: Yeah.

692
00:40:32,056 --> 00:40:33,391
MARIANA: So, what do you
say to people

693
00:40:33,391 --> 00:40:35,685
who say what the trawlers
are doing

694
00:40:35,685 --> 00:40:37,228
is that they are
destroying the oceans,

695
00:40:37,228 --> 00:40:39,063
they're killing all this fish,

696
00:40:39,063 --> 00:40:40,439
and you are
contributing to that

697
00:40:40,439 --> 00:40:42,608
because you are buying
this bycatch?

698
00:40:46,237 --> 00:40:47,196
MARIANA: Right.

699
00:40:53,452 --> 00:40:54,328
MARIANA: Right.

700
00:40:59,625 --> 00:41:02,628
MARIANA: The reality
is even more depressing.

701
00:41:02,628 --> 00:41:06,215
What started out as foreign
trawlers selling their bycatch

702
00:41:06,215 --> 00:41:09,719
has become so established
and so profitable

703
00:41:09,719 --> 00:41:11,345
that many foreign ships

704
00:41:11,345 --> 00:41:15,141
are now purposely targeting
local fish, which, of course,

705
00:41:15,141 --> 00:41:19,478
has only made
the overfishing problem worse.

706
00:41:19,478 --> 00:41:23,899
This is the trickle‐down effect
of our global fishing industry‐‐

707
00:41:23,899 --> 00:41:28,070
a local population so powerless
to stop the overfishing

708
00:41:28,070 --> 00:41:31,866
that it’s now been forced
to embrace a black market.

709
00:41:31,866 --> 00:41:34,702
(crowd murmur)

710
00:41:34,702 --> 00:41:35,870
Oh, wow.
So, this is all the...

711
00:41:35,870 --> 00:41:36,912
CHAIRMAN: Yes. Yeah.

712
00:41:36,912 --> 00:41:38,122
This is the Saiko fish.

713
00:41:38,122 --> 00:41:39,498
MARIANA: Another one there.

714
00:41:39,498 --> 00:41:42,752
Make no mistake about what
you’re looking at here.

715
00:41:42,752 --> 00:41:47,631
This is a fishing town that now
survives on frozen fish.

716
00:41:47,631 --> 00:41:49,216
I mean, it’s incredible.

717
00:41:49,216 --> 00:41:51,927
You look around, and all of it
is basically Saiko.

718
00:41:51,927 --> 00:41:56,724
♪ ♪

719
00:41:56,724 --> 00:42:00,311
♪ ♪

720
00:42:00,311 --> 00:42:02,104
You can see, it's just
boat after boat,

721
00:42:02,104 --> 00:42:03,773
and all of them
are filled with fish,

722
00:42:03,773 --> 00:42:07,985
and they’re bringing
all the fish now to shore.

723
00:42:07,985 --> 00:42:11,822
They cover it with blankets to
keep it cold, to keep it frozen.

724
00:42:11,822 --> 00:42:13,574
Oh, wow! Look at that!

725
00:42:13,574 --> 00:42:15,034
Holy (bleep).

726
00:42:16,911 --> 00:42:18,621
That is insane!

727
00:42:18,621 --> 00:42:21,415
So much.

728
00:42:21,415 --> 00:42:23,125
So you can see
how big this boat is.

729
00:42:23,125 --> 00:42:24,627
CHAIRMAN: Yeah, yeah.

730
00:42:24,627 --> 00:42:27,546
MARIANA: And then every single
one of these, basically, holds,

731
00:42:27,546 --> 00:42:30,716
is filled, filled, filled
with frozen fish.

732
00:42:30,716 --> 00:42:31,592
CHAIRMAN: Yes.

733
00:42:53,948 --> 00:42:56,408
MARIANA: Yeah, it’s out.
It's open.

734
00:42:56,408 --> 00:43:01,872
♪ ♪

735
00:43:01,872 --> 00:43:03,833
PAUL: We can’t do this forever.

736
00:43:03,833 --> 00:43:07,795
There will come a point
where we don’t have fish.

737
00:43:07,795 --> 00:43:09,421
And the people that will suffer

738
00:43:09,421 --> 00:43:11,382
are the people that go out
to fish every day

739
00:43:11,382 --> 00:43:13,676
to feed their families.

740
00:43:13,676 --> 00:43:15,803
But it won't be the owners
of the companies

741
00:43:15,803 --> 00:43:16,887
that took all the fish.

742
00:43:16,887 --> 00:43:18,889
They’ll just go
do something else.

743
00:43:29,984 --> 00:43:33,070
MARIANA: I'm almost embarrassed
to admit how blind I've been

744
00:43:33,070 --> 00:43:37,032
to the ugly truth about
our global fishing industry.

745
00:43:37,032 --> 00:43:40,995
But I can’t unsee
what I’ve seen on this journey.

746
00:43:40,995 --> 00:43:44,248
The industry needs to change.

747
00:43:44,248 --> 00:43:46,083
We all do.

748
00:43:46,083 --> 00:43:49,545
SYLVIA: Taking wild animals
from the ocean

749
00:43:49,545 --> 00:43:53,507
and turning it into money
or products...

750
00:43:53,507 --> 00:43:56,468
there’s a cost.

751
00:43:56,468 --> 00:44:00,014
There’s a cost to everyone.

752
00:44:00,014 --> 00:44:01,640
It’s not free.

753
00:44:01,640 --> 00:44:06,687
♪ ♪

754
00:44:06,687 --> 00:44:08,564
Captioned by
Side Door Media Services


