PHUKET: Officials on Phuket have found sufficient discrepancies in the paperwork of a alleged poaching ship to hold the vessel, its captain and its crew in Thailand, a Customs official told Phuketwan today.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that when the Kunlun - wanted in Australia and New Zealand - recently entered Phuket waters, it declared its cargo to be 182 tonnes of sea bass.
''Inspection showed they were lying,'' the Customs official said. ''The cargo is snowfish.''
Snowfish are a delicacy in parts of Asia and the name is thought to be a regional descriptor for Patagonian toothfish, which the Kunlun is accused of poaching from waters regulated by the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources.
''Australian authorities have been in touch and asked us to hold the vessel and its crew,'' the official said. ''When the records of the vessel were sought, it was discovered they had all been deleted.''
Immigration, the Royal Thai Navy and Marine Police are also involved in action to keep the vessel off Phuket and pursue other vessels.
The Kunlun was last in Phuket seeking new crew in October last year, the official said. According to some sources, it has used a variety of other names.
Since October it has been one of six vessels allegedly involved in a clandestine fish poaching operation across Antarctic waters, triggering pursuit by NZ Navy vessels and the Sea Shepherd organisation. In January, the Kunlun was issued with an Interpol Purple Notice for illegally fishing for toothfish.
Gary Stokes, Sea Shepherd's Director-Asia, told Phuketwan today: ''We have been in pursuit of another vessel, the purple listed Thunder and are still in pursuit.
''This season we have two out of the six wanted vessels, with documentation of two more that will need to come to port sometime. Its been a good year so far.''
The 656-tonne Kunlun has a Peruvian captain and a crew of 31 Indonesians and four Spaniards.
One of the Spanish crew was taken to a Phuket hospital earlier this week over a self-harm episode.
The poachers allegedly have links to a Spanish smuggling network.
Toothfish/Snowfish can fetch up to $150 a kilogram in the US and Japan, where their buttery fillets are highly prized by restaurants.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that when the Kunlun - wanted in Australia and New Zealand - recently entered Phuket waters, it declared its cargo to be 182 tonnes of sea bass.
''Inspection showed they were lying,'' the Customs official said. ''The cargo is snowfish.''
Snowfish are a delicacy in parts of Asia and the name is thought to be a regional descriptor for Patagonian toothfish, which the Kunlun is accused of poaching from waters regulated by the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources.
''Australian authorities have been in touch and asked us to hold the vessel and its crew,'' the official said. ''When the records of the vessel were sought, it was discovered they had all been deleted.''
Immigration, the Royal Thai Navy and Marine Police are also involved in action to keep the vessel off Phuket and pursue other vessels.
The Kunlun was last in Phuket seeking new crew in October last year, the official said. According to some sources, it has used a variety of other names.
Since October it has been one of six vessels allegedly involved in a clandestine fish poaching operation across Antarctic waters, triggering pursuit by NZ Navy vessels and the Sea Shepherd organisation. In January, the Kunlun was issued with an Interpol Purple Notice for illegally fishing for toothfish.
Gary Stokes, Sea Shepherd's Director-Asia, told Phuketwan today: ''We have been in pursuit of another vessel, the purple listed Thunder and are still in pursuit.
''This season we have two out of the six wanted vessels, with documentation of two more that will need to come to port sometime. Its been a good year so far.''
The 656-tonne Kunlun has a Peruvian captain and a crew of 31 Indonesians and four Spaniards.
One of the Spanish crew was taken to a Phuket hospital earlier this week over a self-harm episode.
The poachers allegedly have links to a Spanish smuggling network.
Toothfish/Snowfish can fetch up to $150 a kilogram in the US and Japan, where their buttery fillets are highly prized by restaurants.
Rapers and pillagers of the sea. Good work Thailand... too bad you cant just take the ship out into international waters, drain the fuel, and sink it.
Posted by Ed Sanders on March 19, 2015 21:45