MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Alleged toothfish poachers in court.

Three crew members of a Uruguayan fishing boat, caught with more than US 1.5 million worth of Patagonian toothfish allegedly poached from Australian waters, have gone on trial in Perth.

Uruguayan nationals Alejandro Alvaro Mayo Texis, Gustavo Hermida De Los Santos and Robert Yuen Bagnarro were three of the 40 crew on board the Maya V when it was spotted by an Australian warship in the restricted fishing zone near Heard Island in the Southern Ocean in January this year.

Perth's Court of Petty Sessions was told HMAS Warramunga was on patrol in the area when the Maya V was spotted 74.5 nautical miles inside the fishing zone, and was ordered to stop via radio.

Instead, the Maya V changed course and sped up, prompting a two hour pursuit which ended with the Montevideo-based ship being boarded by navy and fisheries officers.

Prosecutor Darren Renton said once on board, 196 tonnes of processed toothfish were found, as well as evidence of fresh toothfish caught no more than two days previously, and tonnes of bait.

He also said documents found on board the boat indicated Texis and Bagnarro were to receive bonuses for work on board the ship.

Commander John Van Dyke, captain of the HMAS Warramunga, told the court that after initially spotting the Maya V on the radar the warship sped up beside the fishing vessel.

Navigation officer Lieutenant Luke Ryan said the Maya V's high mast, complete with radar, was unusual in such a vessel.

"The ship had a red hull, and very large mast with a radar atop - I hadn't seen that on this type of boat before," Lt Ryan said.

On returning to the area where Maya V was first spotted, Lt Ryan said buoys and long lines, complete with hundreds of fishing hooks, were discovered.

They had similar ropes and markings to buoys found on board the Maya V, the court was told.

The three accused have pleaded not guilty to one count of unauthorised use of a foreign boat within the Australian Fishing Zone.

They intend to insist they were not aware they were in Australian waters.

Earlier this year, 35 of their crewmates pleaded guilty to similar charges and were fined between $1,000 and $1,500. The ship's two senior officers also pleaded guilty and were fined a total of $30,000.

The trial, in front of magistrate Pamela Hogan, is due to last the rest of the week. The three accused will begin giving evidence on Tuesday.(WA News)