MOSCOW, January 23 (RIA Novosti) – A Russian fishing trawler detained by Senegal for over two weeks on suspicion of illegal fishing has departed from the port of Dakar following its release, the Russian Embassy in Senegal said Thursday.
Yury Parshev, the head of the company that owns the Oleg Naidenov, told reporters Wednesday that the vessel was preparing to embark following the payment of a $1 million deposit by his company against possible fines that secured its release.
The trawler was seized by Senegalese border guards on January 4 and escorted to Dakar. The captain insists the ship was legally fishing in waters belonging to neighboring Guinea-Bissau.
The Russian Foreign Ministry, which advocated for the provision of medical aid and drinking water for the crew, said in a statement Monday that it hopes similar incidents can be avoided in the future “in the spirit of the traditionally friendly relations between our countries.”
Parshev earlier said that the ship’s detention was costing the company $30,000 daily and that total damages amounted to $565,000.