Russia's Murmansk court to consider bail for arrested Spanish vessel

The Oktyabrsky district court of Murmansk will consider on July 31 a motion for the release on bail of the Spanish vessel Adexe Primero that has been arrested by Russian border guards on suspicion of crab poaching in the Barents Sea, the court sources told TASS on Tuesday.

"The motion for the release on bail will be considered on Friday, July 31 at 09:30am, Moscow time," the court said. After studying the case materials, the judge should determine the bail sum and the conditions on which Adexe Primero will be able to leave Murmansk port.
The press service of the Russian Security Service’s (FSB) border guard department for the Western Arctic region said that the preliminary legal steps have been taken against the vessel that engaged under the Spanish flag in illegal catches of opilio crab in Russia’s exclusive economic zone in the Barents Sea.

"The crab boat has been put under arrest," the press service said. "A ruling was delivered enabling institution of proceedings over an administrative offence against its captain - Blanco Garcia Elias and the ship owner Mariscos Polar SL, for violation of the rules and requirements of fishing in inland sea waters, territorial sea, continental shelf, in Russia’s exclusive economic zone or on the high seas under the Russian Code of Administrative Offences," the FSB department said. "For determining the sum of pledge and conditions under which the ship can leave the port of Murmansk, the material of the case will be handed to a district court in Murmansk," the FSB department said previously.

The Adexe Primero ship was detained by Russian border guards on July 16. The vessel was engaged in crab catching along the frontier separating the area managed by the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) in the North East Atlantic and at the same time was making calls into the Russian economic zone. The international crew consists of Russians, Ukrainians and Moldovans, with only the captain being Spanish.