Posted on 08/18/2003 6:03:44 PM PDT by Pokey78
A sea chase in the icy Southern Ocean was heating up last night as customs officers pursued a trawler believed to be fleeing with a multi-million-pound haul of illegally caught Patagonian toothfish.
The Southern Supporter, an Australian customs ship, has been chasing the trawler, the Viarsa, for 11 days, since it was spotted near the Heard and McDonald islands, more than 2,000 nautical miles south-west of Australia.
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Ignoring commands to stop, the Uruguayan-flagged trawler set off through snow storms and icebergs to try to escape. It is believed to be carrying Patagonian toothfish, a species highly prized in Asia and North America and known as "white gold" for its pale, succulent flesh.
Illegal overfishing is threatening the viability of the fish, which can reach 7ft in length, but the rewards - it can fetch £8 a pound wholesale - outweigh the risk of six-figure fines for poaching.
As their name suggests the fish sport an unsightly row of protruding teeth, although they are also known as Chilean sea bass.
The Southern Supporter has been within sight of the Viarsa for days, but has proved unable to catch it up and Australia has asked South Africa for help.
It has a helicopter-carrying fisheries vessel, the Agulhas, stationed at Marion Island, a bleak, treeless outcrop 1,300 miles south-east of Cape Town, with a permanent population limited to elephant seals and king penguins.
The deputy director-general of South Africa's environment department, Horst Kleinschmidt, said the Agulhas's crew, who are armed with handguns, would either board the Viarsa or abseil on to it from a helicopter. The pirate ship would then be escorted to Cape Town or back to Australia.
"If there are two vessels [the Viarsa] would find it extremely difficult to escape," Mr Kleinschmidt told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. "If [the captain] resists that, which we would think unlikely, then the crew know that they face criminal charges and extradition issues."
But yesterday the Agulhas was unable to set out because of the Antarctic sea conditions.
Last night the Southern Supporter and the Viarsa were ploughing through heavy seas and near-freezing temperatures around 1,200 nautical miles south of the Cape of Good Hope.
A spokesman for the Australian customs service said: "The hot pursuit is continuing. They are up against severe winter weather but we will not give up on this."
Yet it is described as a "pirate ship".
I wonder if they are using some of the highly developed surveilance techniques from the war on terror?
Rinse the Chilean sea bass with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Set the fish in a shallow dish. Stir together the remaining ingredients in a small bowl until well combined, then pour over the fish, turning the fish so that it is evenly coated. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 hours. Preheat a charcoal grill or the broiler. Grill or broil the fish about 4 inches from the heat until well browned on one side, 3 to 5 minutes; brush with more marinade and cook on the other side until the fish is no longer opaque in the center, about 5 minutes longer.
P.S.
If you're cooking the Chilean sea bass on a charcoal grill, be sure that the fillet pieces are at least 1 1/2 inches thick to ensure that the fish won't fall apart when it is cooked.
Yummy!
Boy am I glad somebody is keeping track of this very serious matter. </ sarcasm>
Photoreconaisance satelites are in polar orbits. What else do they have to look at down there? Large fish like this are surely within the resolution of the latest generation cameras.
So9
Yet it is described as a "pirate ship".
I wonder if they are using some of the highly developed surveilance techniques from the war on terror?
If it were farmland near Waco it would be called a compound or an arsenal and it would be filled with meth and meth making equipment not to mention child pornography and little kids being violated..
You first have to give it the proper label...and put the word out...then you can blow the crap outta it and get some nice attaboys :)
Have the Russkis been selling them as surplus?
Pretty sleek vessel, looks fast and seaworthy. Of course with tons of fish on board may not so much. Still looking for photo of "southern supporter".
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