The Libyan Public Prosecutor's Office ordered the detention of five officials pending investigation on charges of corruption and mismanagement of tuna fishing quotas, which violated the principle of equal opportunities in the exploitation of marine resources.
The Attorney General’s office said in a statement that the Anti-Corruption Prosecution Office at the Tripoli Court of Appeal investigated the management of tuna fishing seasons during the period from 2018 to 2025. The investigations revealed violations in the distribution of quotas, which included one company monopolizing the harvest and prioritizing its interests over the public interest and the fishermen who met the participation requirements. In addition, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) was provided with misleading data that did not take into account the approved selection rules, according to the statement.
The office added that the investigation concluded that the procedures for distributing quotas were mismanaged in a way that violated the principle of fairness in sharing marine resources and achieved illicit gains, according to the statement.
The detention order included the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Marine Resources, the Director of Administrative Affairs at the Ministry, the Ministry's representative to the ICAT Commission, and two members of the committee responsible for distributing fishing quotas in 2022.
The Public Prosecution also directed the administrative authority to expedite the procedures for managing the fishing seasons on schedule, in accordance with the standards and conditions that ensure fairness in the distribution of fishing quotas.
