MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Authorities prepare to board Viarsa

The Government has revealed that it secretly hired the South African tug boat, the John Ross, to aid the Southern Supporter in its marathon pursuit of the Uruguayan boat suspected of poaching Patagonian toothfish from Australian waters, the Viarsa.

The powerful tug boat has pulled alongside the Viarsa, and a boarding party was expected to land on the Uruguayan boat at any moment, but was being held back by bad weather, according to Independent Online.

Australian officials said the John Ross and a British fisheries protection warship based at the Falkland Islands joined the Southern Supporter early on Wednesday (27 August) about 1,800 nautical miles west-south-west of Cape Town.

The John Ross left Cape Town on 21 August carrying armed South African fisheries officers and an Australian fisheries officer. A second South African ship, the SA Agulhas, is still on its way to the scene.

Earlier today, Australian Fisheries Minister Ian Macdonald said the John Ross had pulled alongside the Viarsa, but bad weather was delaying the operation.

"Because of the weather conditions at the time they were unable to board," the minister said.

"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 said that it is determined to catch the Viarsa, and to bring its owners to justice.

"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.

The Uruguayan ambassador to Australia, Pedro Mo-Amaro, said that his government has cooperated with the Australian government, and has attempted to force the Viarsa to comply with instructions to make its way to an appropriate port, but the Uruguayan captain and the Spanish crew had cut all communication, reports News 24.

"If this ship is not apprehended and it arrives in Montevideo, we guarantee we will let the Australian authorities inspect the vessel," Mr Mo-Amaro said.

"We will also look at legal action against the ship's master and Uruguayan company we believe owns this ship."

The high seas chase of the Viarsa has brought world attention to the increasing problems faced by governments trying to protect their fisheries in their waters from marauding organised gangs.

The Patagonian Toothfish is under particular threat because it is highly prized in Asia and the US. Marine conservationists have warned that it could become commercially extinct as early as 2007 if the illegal fishing continues.