MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Longliner catches fire in Montevideo; 11 feared dead

Eleven of 39 crewmembers of Ukrainian longliner “Simeiz” moored in Montevideo which caught fire early Wednesday remain missing. The vessel had to be tugged out to the bay because she was carrying six tons of ammonia and had recently refuelled.

According to Montevideo port and Fire Department officials the fire started at 03:12 early morning and among the missing are the Ukrainian captain, an Indonesian and nine Chinese crewmembers.

"Given the time the fire broke out, most probably the missing crewmembers were locked in their cabins and because of the smoke presumably have died", reported Montevideo port authorities.

After twelve hours of combating the blaze, "the situation is under control but the fire is not entirely extinguished", said a spokesman from the Fire Department who revealed that nine hours had to elapse before the firemen working from a tug could board the "Simeiz". Dense smoke could still be seen at mid day Wednesday from the 56 metres long "Seimiz", in Montevideo's bay.

Although flagged in Ukraine the "Simiez" belongs to a Spanish company, "normally operates from Montevideo" and called in last June 20 to unload approximately 112 tons of fish presumably toothfish. Uruguayan naval authorities reported that the "Simiez" has been operating in the South Atlantic for the last six months catching toothfish.

Besides the six tons of ammonia for the freezing equipment, the longliner also was carrying 300 tons of heavy fuel.

Forensic experts and judicial authorities were waiting for safety clearance to board the longliner and begin the investigation.

The Montevideo Port Administration report shows Triomar as "Seimiez" maritime agents, a company which works with Spanish companies. She was scheduled to leave Montevideo next July 4 and had called previously for less that a day on April 4 when she loaded 22 tons apparently of bait.

A brief history in COLTO's (Coalition of legal toothfish operators) site has the "Seimiez" in the watch list with her latest known destination in late 2003 early 2004, "fishing legally in the Ross Sea".

According to COLTO, she was previously named "Florens I" and flagged to the Russian Federation. Built in March 2001 by Lien Cherng Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. in Kaohsiung, Taiwan and owned by Sun Hope Investments Pty Ltd.'

In December 2001 "Florens I" was observed refuelling the "Lena" while pursued by Australian authorities. The vessel was later identified in documents seized form the Lena and Volga, arrested for illegal fishing in Australian waters in February 2002.

The vessel was subsequently found to be part of the Pacific Andes group.

"Florens I" was photographed unloading toothfish in Jakarta, Indonesia in mid August 2002 and again in Jakarta in mid February 2003 for consignment to Singapore.

The vessel was believed to be fishing illegally in the Australian and French EEZ on the Kerguelen Plateau in March 2003. The latest information suggests the vessel was de-registered from Russian Federation in October 2003, refitted, re-named to Simiez and re-registered to Ukraine, concludes the COLTO report.