Pirate trawler arrested
2003-08-27 21:34
Cape Town - Australian officials and South African seamen detained a Uruguayan trawler suspected of poaching Patagonian toothfish in sub-Antarctic waters on Wednesday after a 20-day chase.
Phindile Makwakwa, spokesperson for the environmental affairs ministry, said the 40 crew aboard had been arrested.
Australian, British and South African vessels had been dodging icebergs in attempts to catch up with Viarsa 1 since it was spotted inside Australia's fishing zone about 4 000km
southwest of the mainland on August 7.
- AFP