MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Poachers in troubles.

Norwegian owned vessel boycotted in Uruguay.

The blacklisted Norwegian vessel Polar Viking has not been allowed to deliver a tuna catch in Montevideo, Uruguay, according to the Norwegian fishery newspaper Fiskaren.

The reason for Polar Viking being black listed is that the vessels supposedly participated in illegal toothfish fishing. The owner of Norse Seafood AS, which operates Polar Viking, is Jan Sjaastad from Ãâ€Â¦lesund.

Norse Seafood has been in focus earlier in connection with illegal fishing activities in the southern seas. Sjaastad's vessel and company have been black listed based on these activities as well. Though Polar Viking is registered in New Zealand, Sjaastad received no support from New Zealand authorities. On the contrary, "New Zealand supported the boycott carried out by harbour authorities in Uruguay," said Associate Minister for Economic Development, Phillida Bunkle.

Norse Seafood owned the vessel Norse Pride which sank in Mauritius in January 1998. Polar Viking is a joint venture project between Norse Seafood and Sealord and Sanford of New Zealand. This is considered an unfavourable liaison by those opposed to fishing activities by third countries in the southern oceans.

Neither Sjaastad nor Jon Ketil Gjørtz, chairman of the board, has been available for comments

Belize-flagged vessel caught .

Reports in the local press say that on 8 July, a Coast Guard cutter caught a foreign vessel fishing illegally within the 200-mile are of the Argentine exclusive economic zone. The vessel was spotted off Cabo Blanco, to the north of Port Deseado, Santa Cruz.

The Stalker was flying the Belize flag but its crew is made up of 35 men of Russian origin. According to an official source in the Argentine Coast Guard, the vessel was surprised with its fishing gear spread out.

Argentine officials, who verified that the vessel was equipped with longlines and that it was processing fish onboard, boarded the poacher. It was carrying a shipment of kingklip, toothfish and hubbsi hake, among other species. The vessel had departed from the port of Montevideo, Uruguay.

The cutter Derbes escorted the Belize poacher to the port of Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut, where it will rem