MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay's fisheries licensing under the spotlight

The Uruguayan flagged long-liner “Viarsa 1” under hot pursuit from Australia during the last fifteen days for allegedly poaching tooth-fish is heading to Montevideo where the crew and the company will voluntarily submit themselves to Uruguayan authorities and eventually face charges.

Captain Yamandú Flangini president of the Uruguayan Aquatic Resources Department, DINARA, confirmed in Montevideo that contact had been established with the "Viarsa1" currently sailing in Antarctic waters and closely chased by the Australian Fisheries Patrol "Southern Supporter", adding that "they have requested protection once they reach the Uruguayan 200 miles".

"We have been informed that they will voluntarily submit themselves to Uruguayan authorities and the Uruguayan legal system", indicated Captain Yamandú Flangini who said communications with the vessel were extraordinarily difficult.

DINARA sources confirmed that a Uruguayan Fisheries observer, Eduardo Merello, is aboard the "Viarsa 1" together with a few other Uruguayans and Chileans although the majority of the crew is from Galicia.

The "Viarsa 1" that was apparently sighted red handed catching tooth-fish close to Hurd island in Australian jurisdiction last August 8 is allegedly transporting well over 150 tons of the precious species valued over 1,5 million US dollars.

However "Viarsa 1" still has at least another ten days of sailing before it reaches Montevideo and following an Australian request, a South African Antarctic icebreaker support vessel, MV Agulhas, equipped with a helicopter and zodiac boats, has also joined the chase.

Last Friday United States extended the Australian strong support when they officially announced that no tooth-fish from the "Viarsa 1" or any other poacher will be allowed into the country.

Patagonian tooth-fish is a deep sea specie with a selected and strong demand in United States and Asia, and can reach a market value of between 18 and 25 US dollars a kilo. But its slow breeding cycle and over-fishing, virtually depredation, have turned it into an endangered specie with strict international fishing quotas that nevertheless have been unable to eradicate poaching.

"Viarsa 1" belongs to a Montevideo registered company Navalmar, an association of Spanish and Uruguayan interests, contracted by a Spanish company and with most of its crew from Galicia. The longliner has a "D" type licence extended by the Uruguayan government under Article 16 of a Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries decree 149/997 which enables the vessel to operate outside Uruguayan waters and of the River Plate Common Zone (shared with Argentina). A further extension of the licence (resolutions 39/2000 and 101/2000) allows "Viarsa 1" to long-line for toothfish and "accompanying fauna and crustaceans" but away from the jurisdiction of the Commission on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, that rules fisheries in the sub Antarctic and of which Uruguay, Australia, South Africa, among others are full members.

Navalmar is a company with a poor reputation even in Montevideo since in July 2002 she was fined by Uruguayan naval authorities for not having a proper VMS communication system that "enables to control activities of the Uruguayan fishing fleet".

Besides, several vessels of Navalmar figure in the "black list" of the Antarctic and South Atlantic Coalition, (linked to CCAMLR), suspicious of infringing international fisheries agreements and poaching. The April report names 38 vessels of which nine have Uruguayan flag and they are: "Arvisa 1" Navalmar; "Atlantic 52", Nielcor S.A.; "Dorita", Navelmar; "Punta Ballena", Iliad Srl.; "Sofia Star", Fripur; "Viking Sky", Iliad; "Viking Sur" Iliad Srl; "Viarsa 1", Navalmar and "Lugal Pesca", Kessel S.A.

"Arvisa 1" and "Dorita" also have a long history of fishing piracy mainly using false names and flags. "Arvisa 1" last "name" was apparently "Eternal" and after being caught by the French in Kerguelen was sunk.

Whatever the outcome of the chase, the incident has had such international repercussions that it anticipates strong diplomatic clashes in the coming CCAMLR annual meeting next October in Hobarth, Tasmania between Uruguay and Australian representatives.

Uruguay has been repeatedly accused, by Australia and South Africa, of harbouring companies and vessels involved in illegal fishing.