Bad weather hampers arrest

2003-08-27 08:34

Sydney - Efforts to arrest the long-line trawler Viarsa, believed to be carrying up to $3.3m worth of Patagonian toothfish, have so far been hampered by dangerous weather.

Ships of three nations have closed in on the suspected Uruguayan poacher in the South Atlantic after a marathon chase through mountainous sub-Antarctic seas, Australian fisheries authorities said on Wednesday.

Australia's longest maritime pursuit began after the Viarsa was spotted fishing for the increasingly rare toothfish in Australian waters of the Southern Ocean on August 7.

The chase has since covered more than 4 000 nautical miles (its skipper ignoring all instructions to stop and at one stage dodging his pursuers through about 70 icebergs).

Officials said a South African ocean-going salvage tug, the John Ross, and a British fisheries protection warship based at the Falkland Islands linked up early on Wednesday with the Australian patrol boat Southern Supporter about 1 800 nautical miles west-south-west of Cape Town.

The John Ross left Cape Town on 21 August with an Australian fisheries officer and armed South African fisheries officers aboard. A second South African ship, the polar ice-breaker SA Agulhas, is also racing to the scene to offer additional support as required.

Fisheries Minister Ian Macdonald said the John Ross, had pulled alongside the Viarsa, but he added: "Because of the weather conditions at the time they were unable to board.

"It's dark, very difficult seas, very dangerous ice flows in the area and we'll be following the Viarsa until tomorrow morning when future operations may occur. These will be determined overnight."

The government has warned it will pursue the Viarsa for as long as it takes.

"We have to make it very clear that we will not tolerate illegal fishing, this fishing industry's worth millions of dollars to Australia," the government said in a statement.

It says the Patagonian toothfish is a protected species with limited fishing allowed and it will not tolerate illegal fishing.

- AFP