Fugitive Ship Chased In And Out Of Ice

The Guardian (UK) ^ | 8-20-2003 | John Vidal

[blam]

Fugitive ship chased in and out of the ice

John Vidal
Wednesday August 20, 2003
The Guardian (UK)

The hunt for the fishing vessel suspected of catching several million pounds worth of endangered Patagonian toothfish took an extraordinary twist yesterday when the Australian customs vessel Southern Supporter pursued it into the Antarctic icefloes, then had to help it navigate out to avoid a full-scale rescue operation. The Uruguayan-registered Viarsa then sped off again.

As the chase continued after more than 2,500 miles in some of the world's heaviest and coldest seas, the Australian government said it intended to scuttle the Viarsa if its owners were convicted of illegal fishing.

"The intention is to seize the Viarsa [and] bring it back to Australia where charges will be laid. If the [owners] are found guilty the boat will be sunk to become a maritime reef," its London embassy said.

More than half a dozen countries, including Britain and the US, have promised Australia their support, including assistance if the Viarsa enters their waters.

But the the helicopter-equipped Antarctic research and supply ship SA Agulhas, which the South African government promised to send to join the pursuit, was reported last night not to have set off.

The Australian justice and customs minister, Chris Ellison, said yesterday: "By now, it should be pretty clear to the Viarsa that its best course of action is to stop trying to outrun our patrol vessel."

The decision to pursue the Viarsa highlights the increasing anger in the southern hemisphere that northern countries have over-fished their own waters and are turning to the south for more fish.

The Viarsa is one of at least 70 international boats believed to be illegally fishing for the valuable, increasingly rare and slow-maturing Patagonian toothfish.

It has already been fished out in other waters and the search is now concentrated in the Southern Ocean south of Australia. According to the World Conservation Union, many boats have moved south from Europe after a decline in their catches. The Viarsa's owners are believed to have Spanish connections.

The latest reports from the Southern Supporter confirm that the weather and sea conditions continue to be icy and difficult.

[NormsRevenge]

Country	Market name
United States	Chilean sea bass
United Kingdom	Antarctic sea bass or Australian sea bass
Japan	Mero
France	Légine Austral
Chile, Spain, Argentina	Bacalao de Profundidad or Merluza Negra

[John H K]

"Sea Bass" was simply dreamed up to market the fish in the US, as "Patagonian Toothfish" doesn't sound very tasty. It doesn't bear the slightest relation to the various fish on the West Coast and East Coast of the US called "Sea Bass."

I don't eat any fish I don't catch myself, but I'd really recommend people not buy Chilean Sea Bass.

They're so slow-growing they simply can't sustain a commerical fishery. If you buy it, you can't be sure it was caught legally and I doubt it can even survive the current legal fishery.

This isn't environwacko hype, it's simply reality. This species cannot survive a large scale commerical fishery.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

then had to help it navigate out to avoid a full-scale rescue operation. The Uruguayan-registered Viarsa then sped off again.

Sounds like an L.A. car chase.

[Rodney King]

The decision to pursue the Viarsa highlights the increasing anger in the southern hemisphere that northern countries have over-fished their own waters and are turning to the south for more fish.

WTF is wrong with this reporter? All the countries involved are from the souther hemisphere.

[tet68]

That's like "orange roughy" it is really Pacific Slimehead.
As the stocks get fished out the boats have to go deeper and deeper, there are several instances where the real name was simply too unappealing.

[whipitgood]

Is that anything like a saber-toothed crotch cricket?

[Rudder]

As long as the sea is rough and the fuel holds out, the trawler will continue to outdistance. They'll have to use more hardware and other ships to interdict, because a one-on-one race in heavy seas favors the plodding trawler.

[TheBattman]

NOT the same Sea Bass..........

[Jimmy Valentine]

Wow! "Jack London, please call your office! We have the sequel to 'The Sea Wolf' idea."

Yikes!