News
Australian Customs officials board illegal Patagonian toothfish poaching boat
An Illegal fishing boat which had been operating in the Southern Ocean has been located and boarded by Australian Maritime officials.
The Kunlun had been illegally taking Patagonian toothfish from Antarctic waters and is wanted by Interpol.
The New Zealand Navy first found the vessel during a patrol of the ocean six weeks ago.
Then the Sea Shepherd Conservation group chased the ship for a week after finding it in Australia’s Exclusive Economic Zone near Antarctica.
Australian Customs officials found and intercepted the ship near the Cocos Islands last week.
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture, Senator Richard Colbeck, said the vessel had been monitored for some time.
“They claimed to be flagged to Equatorial Guinea,” he said.
“Equatorial Guinea told us they weren’t flagged and under international law we can board a vessel on the high seas so that’s what we’ve done.”
The Kunlun is on the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) international blacklist of Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) vessels.
The New Zealand government said the Kunlun and two other boats had been illegally fishing in the southern ocean for months.
New Zealand’s foreign minister, Murray McCully, said he was pleased officials had intercepted the Kunlun.
“We are of course delighted to see that the Australian vessels have been able to gain access and add to the evidence,” he said.
“We want to put these people out of business and anything that’s going to contribute to that process is very welcome.”
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society has been patrolling the Southern Ocean this summer, looking for illegal fishing boats.
The group found the Kunlun near Australia’s Mawson station in Antarctica three weeks ago.
Sea Shepherd captain Peter Hammarstedt said he wanted to see the boat impounded.
“It is a poaching vessel that was originally intercepted by the New Zealand Navy,” he said.
“It was subsequently shut down from fishing by Sea Shepherd and we certainly applaud the actions of the Australian Government in finally taking action against illegal fishing in the southern ocean and boarding the Kunlun.”
He said he suspected the vessel was en route from the Antarctic to South East Asia to offload its illegal catch.
Senator Colebeck said it would be illegal for Australian officials to arrest the boat’s crew because it was on the high seas.
But Mr Hammarstedt said the ship’s crew needed to face justice.
“Australia has every right to arrest this poaching vessel and we now expect to see it brought to the nearest Australian port to see justice done,” he said.
The Kunlun is now heading north and Australia will be watching where it goes.
The Kunlun is one of six ships which is believed to engage in IUU fishing for Patagonian toothfish in the southern ocean.
“We certainly applaud the actions of the Australian Government in finally taking action against illegal fishing in the southern ocean and boarding the Kunlun,” said Hammarstedt.
Source: www.abc.net.au
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Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:
Email: dive@scubatravel.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
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