MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguayan ship accused of poaching brought back to Australia.

The Uruguayan boat captured for alleged poaching after a marathon 21-day ocean chase was brought into a west Australian port Friday (3 October) with its crew of 39 and an illegal catch of endangered Patagonian toothfish.

The Viarsa I was escorted into the port of Freemantle by the Australian Customs vessel Southern Supporter, which pursued the long-line trawler 6,000 kilometers (3,840-miles) through iceberg-strewn waters in the Southern and South Atlantic oceans.

The crew, believed to be Uruguayan, Chilean and Spanish nationals, were taken into custody for questioning before possible charges are laid against them, officials said. They face fines and possible jail sentences if convicted of poaching and fleeing Australian customs officials. Authorities then have seven days to charge the crew members or return them to their countries.

Customs and Justice Minister Chris Ellison, Fisheries Minister Ian McDonald and the Uruguayan ambassador to Australia, Pedro Mo Amoro, witnessed the Viarsa's arrival.

McDonald hailed the ship's capture as a warning to anyone fishing illegally in Australia's rich southern oceans.

"This chase sends a message right around the world that Australia will chase these pirates, these plunderers of our oceans, to the ends of the earth if needs be to put a stop to this sort of operation," he said.

Officials said the Viarsa was carrying almost 85 tonnes of toothfish worth about one million dollars (680,000 US) when it was finally boarded on August 27 with the help of South African police and a British fisheries vessel.

McDonald said proceeds from the sale of the Viarsa's catch would be forfeited to the government. "The proceeds go to allay some of the enormous cost of this chase," he said. "It has been a very expensive exercise involving not only our own people but as well the South Africans and the United Kingdom fishery protection officers," he said.

"We are particularly grateful to both South Africa and the United Kingdom for that."

The Patagonian Toothfish lives mainly in Antarctic waters, reaching two metres (six foot six inches) in length. Over fishing has made it increasingly rare because it does not breed until it is at least 10 years old.

Poachers are estimated to take four times more toothfish that are caught under official quotas and Australia has warned the fish would become commercially extinct if the pirates are not stopped. The toothfish's popularity has soared in the United States and Japan over the past five years since marketers began selling it under the name Chilean sea bass.