Heroic Capture at Sea Highlights Gaping Cavities in Toothfish Defence

The Patagonian toothfish – popularly known as the Chilean Sea Bass – has long been over-fished and is protected by international laws as an endangered species. Unfortunately, there has not been a comparable international response to enforcing these laws and preventing illegal fishing. This reality is evidenced by a recent three-week chase of a Uruguayan ship through treacherous Antarctic waters. Australian officials pursued the ship for over 3900 nautical miles and eventually had to call upon South African and British ships for help. When the fugitive ship was finally apprehended, the captain's log indicated that it had an 85-ton haul, a catch that would be worth about $1.3 million on the open market. Though substantial, this catch accounts for only a small amount of the fish illegally caught from Australian waters annually. Government officials say that pirates catch as many fish in their waters as legal fisherman – about 3,000 tons a year, valued at tens of millions of dollars. As a result, many believe Australia is incapable of patrolling its waters and advocate the creation of an international monitoring system to better track and license fishing boats. – YaleGlobal