Eurofish Seiner Sinks In EPO After Catching Fire

Ecuadorian-flagged purse seiner, ‘Don Igilio’, sank in the wee hours of Friday, January 9, off the coast of Peru after being destroyed by a fire. All 25 crew members were rescued by a gillnetter ‘Yolanda’ flagged to Chile, that was operating nearby. Authorities are investigating the reason for the fire. Ecuador thanked the crew members of ‘Yolanda’ for their timely intervention. The survivors who were transferred to a Peruvian port will be brought to Manta in the coming days. A spokesperson for the Ecuadorian fishing industry said that it is a difficult situation, “but the men are safe and well,” reported Spanish news sites.

‘Don Igilio,’ built in 1987 is a 69-meter-long, seiner with a 1,014 gross tonnage and a fish hold capacity of 1,265 tons. It is registered under its owner, Manta-based Elvayka Kyoei, S.A. which belongs to the Eurofish. ‘Don Igilio’ and ‘Yolanda’ are listed under the IATTC vessel registry. The purse seiner is part of the Tunacons fishery that holds an MSC certification for EPO skipjack and yellowfin catches.