MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Poacher vessel will help fight illegal fishing

A vessel that once stole wealth from Australian waters will now add to it with the Australian Government to use the apprehended Uruguayan flagged fishing boat “Maya V” for simulated boarding training in Western Australia.

The Federal Minister for Fisheries, Senator Ian Macdonald and the Minister for Justice and Customs, Senator Chris Ellison, announced this Friday that the vessel would form the centre-piece of a training program to prevent similar attempts to plunder Australia's natural resources.

Senator Macdonald said it was ironic that a vessel which targeted the rare Patagonian toothfish in Australian waters in the Southern Ocean would become an asset in efforts to protect this remote but valuable fishery.

"The Maya V was apprehended in late January on suspicion of illegal fishing in Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) around Heard Island and McDonald Islands, over 4,000km south west of Perth. It was found to have a record 191 tons of Patagonian Toothfish on board and 64 tons of bait, fetching over $2 million on sale by tender, Senator Macdonald said.

"The boat is now the property of the Commonwealth, after its owner did not challenge the forfeiture of the vessel within the legislated timeframe, he said.

Senator Ellison said the use of the "Maya V" for training by Customs officers complemented the allocation of $89.2 million in this year's budget to fund a patrol boat fitted with a deck mounted .50 caliber machine gun to patrol Australian waters for illegal fishers.

"The need for world class facilities and crews patrolling the Southern Ocean were highlighted last year, when authorities chased the Uruguayan-flagged fishing vessel "Viarsa 1" for 21 days before boarding it on the high seas west of South Africa and arresting the crew.

"These criminals do more than steal a valuable resource from this country. They challenge our sovereignty, and endanger what really is one of the last remaining pristine ecosystems in the world", Senator Ellison said