Armed ship to protect toothfish

2003-12-17 14:28

Canberra - Australia will send an armed ship to patrol the remote Southern Ocean for poachers catching the prized Patagonian toothfish, the government said on Wednesday.

The icebreaking vessel will have a deck-mounted machine gun and armed customs officials aboard with its civilian crew, the fisheries and customs ministries said in a joint statement.

The ship will patrol full-time in Australian waters near Heard Island and McDonald Island, which lie between Australia and Antarctica.

"While the primary purpose of the Southern Ocean patrols will be to detect and apprehend illegal fishing vessels targeting the valuable Patagonian toothfish, its presence will also send a strong message that Australia will not tolerate any breaches of its exclusive economic zone or its marine reserves," the statement said.

The Patagonian toothfish fetches up to A$50 a kilogram. Its flaky, white flesh is prized in restaurants in Japan, the United States, Canada and Europe. Many fear overfishing has pushed the species to the brink of extinction.

Australia's government has vowed to crack down on fish poachers after authorities in August spent 21 days chasing an Uruguayan boat spotted fishing in Australian waters off Antarctica.

Australian and South African officials boarded the suspected poachers' boat off Cape Town after the 6 300-kilometres chase through icy waters.

Nearly 85 metric tons of Patagonian toothfish, worth about A$1 million, were found on board. The case involving the Uruguayan captain and his crew is still in court.

Nearly 80% of the Patagonian toothfish sold globally is illegally caught, according to the National Environmental Trust in Washington.

- AP