Big brother eyes fishing

2003-11-03 13:34

Hobart, Australia - Fishing nations represented at a meeting in Tasmania have shown strong support for a centralised satellite monitoring system to crack down on illegal fishing, an Australian legislator said on Monday.

"Nearly all of the 24 member states are providing their support for the initiative, which will ensure that the fishing location of illegal operators cannot be as easily protected by rogue states," Sharman Stone said in a statement.

Talks were progressing with a small number of countries opposed to the initiative, said Stone, parliamentary secretary for environment and heritage.

Australia was also calling for all suspect vessels to be included on a "ships of shame" list, she said.

Stone issued the statement at a meeting in Tasmania of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources.

The meeting follows a high-profile chase earlier this year of a Uruguayan ship, the Viarsa I, suspected of illegally fishing for the valuable Patagonian toothfish near Australia's sub-Antarctic possession of Heard Island.

- AFP