MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Majority of Maya V crew may be free this week

It is too early to know when the Uruguayan crew of the Maya V will return home, the Uruguayan Consulate said yesterday, but hopefully for the majority matters will be resolved this week.

32 of the 35 crew arrested and charged for allegedly poaching Patagonian toothfish from an Australian EEZ, shortened their forced stay in Australia by pleading guilty in the Perth Magistrate's court last week.

Although many felt the charges were wrongly brought against them ? with the senior officers only previously charged - like many Australian nationals, the crew took the ?guilty' plea to speed up delivery of an outcome.

The court has been told previously that it is likely that the fines reached may almost be equalled out by time spent in custody, which would mean automatic release and repatriation to their country of passport.

The severity of the fine will be decided later this week when the 32 are sentenced and the amounts of the fines revealed. A small group of three men refused to plead not guilty last week, and have one more chance to either plea guilty or go to trial, which could take months before being listed.

Peter Collins