MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

“Maya V” Punta Arenas connection?

Relatives of Punta Arenas Chilean crew members of the Uruguayan flagged “Maya V” currently jailed in Fremantle for allegedly illegally fishing in Australian waters anticipated they will be pressing charges against “Pesca Cisne” the local company that recruited them, reports La Prensa Austral.

Jorge Cofré president of Punta Arenas fishermen's union said Pesca Cisne "was directly responsible for contracting local crewmembers" and is also "the owner of the vessel ("Maya V")".

The wives of the ten "Maya V" Punta Arenas crewmembers, who had so far kept silent, began talking on finding out that the company responsible for the longliner has virtually abandoned the crew and hasn't fulfilled its promises to defend and repatriate their husbands from Australia.

The original information was that two Chilean brothers from Punta Arenas, the Uruguayan captain and a Spanish Chief Officer plus a Chilean pilot were staying in a hotel after the company deposited bail for them.

"A representative from the company in Santiago rang me up and said not to worry because they'd all be free and would be taken to a hotel", said Cristina Calbuyahue whose husband Luis Marquez Saldivia and brother Armando are among the most involved in the alleged poaching given their fishing records.

But further information indicates that while the officers are living in a hotel, "the two brothers ended up in a charity organization with a meagre daily ration".

Jacqueline Ulloa wife of Urbano Maldonado Nayao had a similar story. She was told by a company spokesperson that the rest of the crew had abandoned the "detention centre" and were staying in hotels, paid by the company, waiting for bail to become effective and be repatriated to Chile.

However last Friday midnight she received a phone call from her husband, (Mr. Maldonado Nayao), saying he only had ten minutes to talk and that the "Australian Immigration Service was conducting them as real criminals to a high security jail".

The wives were also under the belief that the company had contracted lawyers to defend the crew but this also proved false, it was the Australian government that was providing counsel.

"We don't know what's going to happen; if they are formally charged there's no way to know when they'll be back; actually the case is in recess until next March 23", said Mr. Cofré

"Besides there are parliamentary elections in Australia and this has become a campaign topic with one of the candidates promising hell for the crewmembers; I guess that's why they ended in a high security prison".

A more cautious legal advisor José Hernández admitted the union was considering demanding "Pesca Cisne" responsible for the local contracting and revealed that a letter already had been addressed to Chilean Foreign Affairs Minister Soledad Alvear requesting the Chilean government intervene and begin naming defence counsellors for the stranded Chilean crewmembers of the "Maya V".

Meanwhile in Montevideo relatives of Uruguayan crewmembers confirmed they collected the regular monthly payments but "in cash, not in cheques as usual, and the office was clearly being dismantled".