RIGHTWHALE

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Video caught moment of collision - Russian captain of factory trawler arrested

A video recorded by the camera of the 'Right Whale' captured the moment of the collsion with the 'Tafra 3'. The bow of the Lithuanian-owned, Russian-captained pelagic trawler hit fishing vessel while it was hauling its gear, dragging it for nearly two minutes. The rapidity of the incident gives the impression that it was underway with 1ß-12 knots, not trawling. Several members of the factory ship's crew can be seen emerging onto the deck one by one, presumably alerted by the roar of the impact, which opened a huge gap in the starboard side of the 'Tafra 3', the rigging slats of which can be seen on the stern, which would have limited the Mauritanian trawler's maneuverability. At least two crew members who were stationed there, performing the gear-harnessing maneuver, struggled to escape and were climbing into the nets, trying to seek refuge. the sailors were barely able to put on their life jackets. The three life rafts that floated in the practically calm Mauritanian waters did so thanks to hydrostatic bailing, which is activated under pressure, when the vessel has disappeared beneath the sea. The impact, according to the video, occurred at 8:04:05 p.m., and the ships seperated again at 8:06:15 p.m. The 'Tafra 3', whose Galician partner is Genaro Martínez, from the Vigo-based company Baipesca, sunk stern first 15 minutes later. Although the causes of the accident were still to be determined by the Mauritanian authorities, the Russian captain of the 'Right Whale' was arrested after giving a statement to the police. The skipper of the 'Tafra 3', Javier Gestido, a resident of Ardán (Marín), returned to the hotel where the survivors were staying, after giving his version of events. Under the guidance of consular services, the shipowners were preparing the repatriation of the crew. One of the two skippers was scheduled to fly to the Canary Islands today to head to Galicia. The other will remain in the African country for a few more days. The 'Right Whale' is a Soviet-designed factory ship of the Pulkovsky Meridian-class with the capacity to process between 120 and 150 tons of pelagic species daily on board. The 'Right Whale', once named 'Pyotr Shafranov' or 'Coral' has been registered under various flags of convenience, such as Georgia, Comoros, Cameroon, and Gambia. Report with video: https://www.diariodeibiza.es/sociedad/2025/09/16/tafra-3-tuvo-tiempo-desplegar-121615266.html

Trawler sank after collision with fish factory, five fishermen missing

The trawler 'Tafra 3' (IMO: 9238727),with 26 crew members on board, and the 'Right Whale' were in collision on Sep 12, 2025, at 8.04 p.m. LT, in Mauritanian waters, opposite Nouadhibou, in an area where joint ventures with Galician-Mauritanian capital and other Spanish joint ventures normally are fishing. The 'Tafra 3' was hit at starboard side and suffered a large breach. After it was pushed by the factory ship for about two minutes, the vessels separated, and the trawler sank quickly. 21 people, including three Spaniards - the two skippers, Javier Gestido and José Manuel Diz, both residents of Morrazo, and the chief engineer from Huelva, were rescued. Among the survivors, in addition to the five Spaniards, one Ghanaian, one Senegalese and 14 Mauritanians have been identified. Seven crew members were injured, one of them seriously. Diz had a cut on his head that required stitches. The rescued arrived at the port of Nouadhibou , on Sep 13 at 6 a.m. Those who were well, were accomodated in a hotel, Five Mauritanians, including one officer, remained missing. Two crew members of the factory ship, a Spaniard and a Russian, were taken into custody in the city of Nouadhibou as part of the investigation. A patrol boat of the Mauritanian Coastguard was dispatched to the scene to coordinate the SAR operations, being supported by several fishing boats, among them the 'Tafra 2' and 'Rimbal 5', as well as a Spanish helicopter, which was deployed to the scene at the request of local authorities. The 'Tafra 3', owned by the Galician Genaro Martínez, with capital from Vigo, which until 2001 operated under the name 'Praia de Loureiro', was fishing in Mauritanian waters at the time of the accident alongside other ships, including the 'Tafra 2', also owned by the company Baipesca, based in the port of Vigo. Reports with photos and video: https://www.rtve.es/noticias/20250913/desaparecidos-naufragio-pesquero-gallego-mauritano/16727798.shtml https://www.elcorreogallego.es/galicia/2025/09/14/tafra-3-fondo-rapidisimo-abordaje-121555041.html https://www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/somosmar/2025/09/14/tafra-3-dos-gallegos-salvo-viraba-aparejo-abordadoel-antiguo-playa-loureiro-buen-barco-recuerdan-marin/0003_202509G14P32991.htm https://www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/somosmar/2025/09/15/right-whale-arrastro-durante-dos-minutos-tafra-3-tras-abordarlo/00031757952850552691359.htm?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=twgen