Commentary by Sea Shepherd Founder, Captain Paul Watson
Harp seal near the Farley Mowat
Photo: Sea Shepherd / Greg Hager Nationalism is a type of insanity where artificial boundaries replace compassion and common sense.
All of my life, with every campaign that I have organized, I have been called a racist or a bigot for opposing each and every atrocity I have encountered. Our campaigns against whaling have been against whalers in Japan, Norway, Iceland, Spain, Australia, Denmark, Canada, South Africa, Russia and the USA. Our campaigns against sealing have been against sealers in Canada, Russia, Norway, and Namibia. Our campaigns against shark finning and shark killing have been against shark killers in Costa Rica, Australia, China, Spain, Brazil, and many other countries. Our campaigns against illegal tuna fishing have been against illegal fishing in Malta, Spain, France and Japan. Our campaigns against the slaughter of dolphins have been against such killers in Japan, the Faroe Islands, Canada, Peru, Venezuela, Mexico and many other countries.
Name any country and there is an atrocity against some animal or animals taking place there, somewhere by someone.
And many of these atrocities are justified in the name of some national culture – be it foie gras in France, bullfighting in Spain, badger killing and fox hunting in England, kangaroo shooting in Australia, dolphin killing in Japan, the seal slaughter in Canada, the killing of wolves in Norway or the USA, and so on.
I have never opposed an atrocity based on the nationality of the person or persons committing that atrocity. It just so happens that when I oppose an atrocity in any place, there tends to be a backlash from offended people based on their nationality, which breaks down into those who defend the atrocity for cultural reasons, and those who defend their nation and oppose the atrocity but take offense at their nation being cited within the overall criticism.
That’s the problem with national identification. People who take pride in their flag and their country tend to be defensive when an atrocity is cited within the borders of their country, and this often leads to such people defending the atrocity for no other reason than national pride.
I was born a Canadian and I am a citizen of both the USA and Canada. All of my life I have opposed the cruel and despicable slaughter of seals in Canada and I’ve defended wolves, caribou, salmon and other species ruthlessly exploited in Canada. I have defended whales, seals, wolves, bears, sea lions and many other species in the USA. I do not get offended by people in Europe condemning the slaughter of seals in Canada. In fact, I appreciate them doing so.
You see, the seals in Canada represent what Canada is more than the red and white piece of cloth that is used to justify the killing of seals when the government of Canada condemns those who defend seals, and lauds the seal killers as being “real” Canadians who defend a Canadian cultural practice.
My Canadianism is the forests, the mountains, the rivers and all those native species that live upon the land and the sea. The same goes for my Americanism. It is the land and the sea, the forests and the valleys that I love and respect.
Some Japanese people cry racism when we oppose the killing of dolphins and whales. Some people in Spain cry bigotry when we oppose the bullfight or the killing of the Galgos. Some people in Australia get offended when we oppose the shooting of kangaroos and some people in Namibia get upset because defending seals is, in their eyes, a form of racism.
I don’t believe in nationalism. When I see a picture of Earth from space, I don’t see any flags or borders. Flags mean little to me, other than pieces of cloth that people rally around like football colors in their need for some sort of tribal identification.
I do not see nationalities. I see a species of primate hominid called Homo sapiens. And what I see is a species that shares the same virtues and the same vices.
There is not a nation on this planet where cruelty and violence cannot be found. There is not a nation on this planet where one group of people are different than any other group from any other nation.
I recognize that culture and tradition are important to different groups and I respect that, but I do not respect any culture or tradition that practices cruelty or slaughter.
Are Canadians all sadistic people because of the seal slaughter? Are Spaniards all ruthless barbarians because of the bullfight? Are Faroese all vicious monsters for the killing of pilot whales?
The answer is of course they are not. All people cannot be judged by the cruelty of a group within the larger group. Unless of course they openly support such slaughter and justify cruelty, misery and death in the name of their culture.
There is only one race and that is the human race, and the evidence is clear that humanity as a race is ecologically ignorant. Overall we are extremely arrogant in our general collective view of other species – so much so that practically every anthropocentric religion places humans in the center of creation as all important.
People are sometimes confused when they ask me my citizenship and I answer by saying, “I am an Earthling.”
My immediate family is somewhat of a United Nations that includes the following nationalities: French and English Canadian, American, Russian, Kazakhstan, Turkish, French, Danish, Scottish, Irish, German, Iranian, Dutch and Chinese. My ships have had crews from at least more than 50 nations. And what I have long realized is that within any group or nationality can be found a diversity of opinions, prejudices, vices, virtues and beliefs.
And I firmly believe that no group has any superiority over any other group. I do however believe that there is one thing that must not be tolerated, and that is the deliberate infliction of pain, suffering, death and inequality upon any human or any other animal in the name of patriotism, culture or tradition.
The matador who kills the bull, the American big-game hunter who kills the elephant, the Namibian sealer, the African poacher who kills the rhino, the Faroese pilot-whale killer, the Taiji dolphin murderer, and the Canadian sealer are all the same, united in their shared perversity of inflicting pain, suffering and death.
Yet at the same time the citizens of Spain who oppose the bullfight, the Australians who oppose the killing of kangaroos, the Africans who oppose the slaughter of rhinos, and the Faroese and the Japanese who oppose the slaughter of dolphins are also united by a bond of compassion.
I often get messages like, “I support you saving whales but the bullfight is part of our tradition,” or “I support your efforts to save seals but you have no right to criticize my eating foie gras.”
All of my positions are dictated against an atrocity or a threat to an eco-system and not against the nationality of the people involved.
Are all Faroese evil? No, but in my opinion all Faroese whale-killers are bad because whaling is evil.
Are all Spaniards evil because of illegal fishing, the bullfight and the killing of the Galgos? No, but the Spaniards involved in the illegal fishing, the bullfight or the killing of Galgos are involved in an evil that I have dedicated my life to opposing.
The dilemma is, how can you oppose the killing of dolphins in Japan by human beings who happen to be Japanese without stating that the killers are Japanese? You can’t, but we do try to point out that not all Japanese are involved or support the slaughter. But this is complicated by the fact that all Japanese vote for and are responsible for the elected government that represents them, and when that government supports the slaughter of whales and dolphins it implicates the entire nation.
It is not easy to say the least, and people are going to believe what they choose to believe and to justify what they choose to justify.
All that I can do is to be consistent in my policy of viewing all humans equally and judging not on nationality, but on actions.
If the people are Faroese and kill pilot whales and dolphins, I oppose and condemn them for that action. It the people are Faroese and do not kill pilot whales and dolphins but support the killing, I disagree and oppose them. If people are Faroese and oppose the killing of pilot whales and dolphins, I applaud and support them.
It is as simple as that. It is the actions of people that we support or condemn and not the nationality of the person involved.
Commentary by Sea Shepherd Founder, Captain Paul Watson
The Bob Barker in a high seas stand-off with poaching vessel, Thunder, which has now been stripped of its registry by former flag-state, Nigeria.
Photo: Sea Shepherd / Giacomo Giorigi The epic chase of the toothfish-poaching vessel Thunder by Sea Shepherd vessels the Bob Barker and the Sam Simon continues, with all three ships almost 1,000 nautical miles off the coast of Nigeria in the South Atlantic Ocean.
With the poaching vessel Kunlun in custody in Thailand, a third poacher, the Viking, has now been arrested in Malaysia. The Nigerian-flagged vessel is being detained in Tanjung Sedili, Malaysia on charges of illegal entry.
There are 18 crewmembers onboard – one Chilean, two Peruvian and 15 Indonesian. Sea Shepherd has asked that the Viking be investigated for human rights abuses. The Viking also had a recent a name change; the vessel was previously called the Snake.
Operation Icefish has been the longest continuous Sea Shepherd campaign in both duration and in distances covered. Most importantly, it has been successful.
Illegal fishing in the Southern Ocean has been exposed internationally. Interpol is taking action to stop the ships that have been found fishing illegally. 72 kilometers of nets have been confiscated from the Thunder. The cargo of 182 tons of toothfish from the Kunlun has been impounded. The authorities throughout Southeast Asia are on the lookout for the other operating poaching vessels – the Yongding, Songhua and Perlon. The Spanish police are taking action against the fish companies in Spain. For the Kunlun and the Thunder, they have lost their profits for the season and have incurred debts for their costs.
Not since 2003 has there been such activity in opposing the poachers of the Southern Ocean. Enthusiasm died down back then when the Uruguayan poacher Virasa I was found not guilty on technicalities, following what was then the longest pursuit on the high seas, the 21-day chase by the Australian Customs ship Southern Supporter.
The Viking is one of the Bandit Six that includes the Thunder, Kunlun, Songhua, Yongding and Perlon.
Constantly changing names and flags, these vessels have plundered the Southern Ocean for millions of dollars of toothfish, a product that is smuggled into countries around the world and sold in high-end restaurants as Chilean Sea Bass, Mero, Icefish or Antarctic cod. As the numbers of these fish decline in the sea, demand rises in the marketplace, causing prices to rise and fueling more investment to catch these valuable fish. There is a legal toothfish industry that is well regulated, but this regulation is undermined by the unrestricted poaching conducted by these pirate fishing operations.
There are 18 crew onboard, 1 Chilean, 2 Peruvian and 15 Indonesian. Sea Shepherd has asked that the Viking be investigated for human rights abuses. The Viking also had a recent a name change. The vessel was previously called the Snake.
Operation Icefish has been the longest continuous Sea Shepherd campaign in both duration and in distances covered. Most importantly it has been successful.
Illegal fishing in the Southern Ocean has been exposed internationally. Interpol is taking action to stop the ships that have been found fishing illegally. 72 kilometers of nets have been confiscated from the Thunder. The cargo of 182 tons of toothfish from the Kunlun has been impounded. The authorities throughout Southeast Asia are on the look out for the other operating poaching vessels the Yongding, Songhua and Perlon. The Spanish police are taking action against the fish companies in Spain. For the Kunlun and the Thunder, they have lost their profits for the season and have incurred debts for their costs.
Not since 2003 has there been such activity in opposing the poachers of the Southern Ocean. Enthusiasm died back then when the Uruguayan poacher VirasaI was found not guilty on technicalities after what was then the longest pursuit on the high seas, the 21-day chase by the Australian customs ship Southern Supporter.
The Viking is one of the Bandit Six that includes the Thunder, Kunlun, Songhua, Yongding and Perlon.
Constantly changing names and flags, these vessels have plundered the Southern Ocean for millions of dollars of Toothfish, a product that is smuggled into countries around the world and sold in high end restaurants as Chilean Sea Bass, Mero, Icefish or Antarctic cod. As the numbers decline in the sea, demand rises in the market place causing prices to rise fueling more investment to catch these valuable fish. There is a legal toothfish industry that is well regulated but this regulation is undermined by the unrestricted poaching operations by these pirate-fishing operations.
The Viking is the 2nd of the “Bandit 6” poaching vessels to be detained this month.
(Image courtesy CCAMLR) Another major blow has been dealt to illegal fishing in the Southern Ocean with the detention of the Nigerian flagged poaching Vessel, Viking, in Malaysia.
Held for violations of Malaysian maritime law, Malaysian authorities have indicated that the Viking will also be investigated for alleged illegal, unregulated, unreported (IUU) fishing violations.
The vessel was detained with 18 crew on board; one Chilean, two Peruvian and 15 Indonesian citizens. The Captain of the vessel, whose nationality is unknown, has been arrested.
The Viking is one of the six remaining illegal, unregulated, unreported (IUU) fishing vessels – which Sea Shepherd calls the “Bandit 6” - that are known to target vulnerable toothfish in the waters surrounding Antarctica, and is the second vessel of the six that has been detained by authorities this month.
The Sea Shepherd ship, Bob Barker, is currently engaged in a record-breaking pursuit of the most notorious of the “Bandit 6” vessels, the Thunder, which prior to it being stripped of its registration last week, was also flagged to Nigeria.
The Viking, like its five counterparts, has a long history of illegal fishing. In 2013, the vessel, then called Snake, was the first vessel to be issued with an Interpol Purple Notice for fishing-related violations following a petition from authorities in Norway. The owners and operators of the vessel are suspected of violating national laws and regulations, as well as international conventions by engaging in fraud and fisheries-related crimes.
While Sea Shepherd applauds the detention of the Viking, the organisation is now appealing to relevant authorities to ensure that the owners and officers of the vessel are prosecuted, the vessel scrapped and its catch confiscated.
The Viking (Image courtesy CCAMLR) Captain of the Bob Barker, Peter Hammarstedt said, “In May 2014, the Thunder was detained in Malaysia. Despite being found guilty of illegal fishing activity, the vessel was let off with a small fine and allowed to return to its illegal operations. Seven months later, my crew and I intercepted the Thunder on the Banzare Bank in Antarctica, again engaged in illegal fishing activity. These are seasoned, repeat offenders who will not be deterred by a slap on the wrist. The only way to ensure that the Viking does not return to pillage the Southern Ocean is for the vessel to be impounded, and for the operators and officers to be arrested for their crimes.”
In addition to fishing crimes, Sea Shepherd is calling upon Malaysian authorities to investigate possible human rights violations on board the Viking.
Captain Sid Chakravarty of the Sea Shepherd ship, Sam Simon, said, “Last week, Sea Shepherd reported the attempted suicide of an Indonesian crewmember on board the poaching vessel, Thunder. We have sought the advice of human rights experts who have indicated that the suicide attempt was all in likelihood directly related to the poor and exploitative conditions experienced on board that poaching vessel. In light of this, and the extensive body of information which indicates that a rampant slave trade underpins IUU fishing operations, we implore Malaysian authorities to speak to the 15 Indonesia crew on board the Viking, and to thoroughly investigate the likelihood that human rights violations have taken place.”
Authorities indicate the Viking will be investigated for alleged IUU fishing violations.
(Image courtesy CCAMLR) In further news, Thai authorities have confirmed that the Captain of the poaching vessel Kunlun, which was chased from its hunting grounds inside Australian waters by the Sam Simon in February, has been charged for falsely reporting its illegal catch of 182 tonnes of Antarctic toothfish as grouper. Captain of the poaching vessel, Jose Alberto Zavaleta Salas, faces further charges for falsely reporting the ship’s flag and registration.
The handler that received the fish, South Services Co Ltd, has also been charged for its role in illegally importing the fish into Thailand.
Captain Chakravarty has praised international policing organisation, Interpol, for their efforts in spearheading the investigations into the Viking, Thunder and Kunlun.
“All three of the vessels that are currently being investigated have been issued with Interpol Purple Notices. By doing so, the Environmental Crime Unit’s Project Scale has set in motion the wheels to bring together international cooperation to tackle poaching in the Southern Ocean. Under their expertise, national investigators now have the chance to investigate fisheries crimes to bring about successful prosecutions of these vessels. From the waters of West Africa to the shores of Mauritius and now the ports of Thailand and Malaysia, Interpol is leading the proceedings to shut down these poachers,” he said.
The poaching vessels are the target of Sea Shepherd's first Southern Ocean Defence Campaign to target IUU fishing operators in the waters of Antarctica, Operation Icefish.
Sea Shepherd Calls On Navies To Intercept The “Slave” Ship.
The deck crew of the Thunder, believed to be trafficked persons under the UN Convention
against Transnational Organized Crime.
Photo: Sea Shepherd / Simon Ager In a radio communication to the Sea Shepherd ships Bob Barker and Sam Simon, the Captain of the Interpol-wanted poaching vessel, Thunder, has reported that one of the deck crew, said to be Indonesian, has attempted suicide.
The report comes in the wake of the news that the Thunder has been de-registered by its flag state, Nigeria, for violations of its registry conditions; an action that means that the Thunder is now officially a stateless, pirate-vessel as defined by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
In the follow-up to the attempted suicide attempt, the Sea Shepherd ship, Bob Barker, launched a small boat and attempted to deliver notes in plastic bottles to the Thunder's Indonesian deck crew. The notes stated that the Sea Shepherd ships are willing and equipped to take the on board not only the injured crewmember, but the entire deck crew of Thunder.
The notes were intercepted by the officers on the Thunder, who are believed to be of Spanish descent, and thrown overboard.
The Captain of the Thunder then radioed the Bob Barker and stated that the Indonesian crew did not want further communication with the Sea Shepherd ships. Another man, said to be the “Indonesian deck boss”, then read a prepared statement in Spanish, stating that the "captain is a good person" and that they did not want Sea Shepherd to deliver any more messages.
An Indonesian speaker on board the Sam Simon then radioed the Thunder in Bahasa, the local Indonesian language, to verify the contents of the prepared Spanish statement. The Thunder’s Captainresponded, saying the deck boss had "gone to bed" and that Sea Shepherd would not be able to speak to him again.
Despite requests for further information, the Captain of the Thunder would not provide the name of the Indonesian deck boss, or the name of the crewing agency responsible for hiring the deck crew. He also stated that the poaching vessel was equipped to remain at sea for another nine months.
Captain of the Bob Barker, Peter Hammarstedt, responded, repeating Sea Shepherd's offer to take the on board the deck crew of Thunder. The Captain of the Thunder refused the offer.
The Bob Barker in a high seas stand-off with poaching vessel, Thunder, which has now been stripped of its registry by former flag-state, Nigeria.
Photo: Sea Shepherd / Giacomo Giorgi Captain Hammarstedt, said, “I firmly believe that the Indonesian crew of the Thunder are trafficked persons under the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, specifically the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons (General Assembly Resolution 55/25) and the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air (General Assembly Resolution 55/25).I also believe that they are being held against their will and know that they are not allowed to communicate freely - this on board a vessel suspected of numerous fisheries crimes and one that has exhibited violent behaviour toward my crew. The attempted suicide on board the Thunder, and the Captain's apparent intention to stay at sea, gives me strong reason to worry about injury and death on board that vessel in the absence of government intervention.”
In light of these latest developments, Sea Shepherd has called upon support from the world's navies to intervene and apprehend the Thunder immediately.
Captain of the Sam Simon, Sid Chakravarty, said, “Article 99 of the UNCLOS states that, 'Every State shall take effective measures to prevent and punish the transport of slaves in ships authorized to fly its flag and to prevent the unlawful use of its flag for that purpose.' Further, Article 110 of UNCLOS empowers naval ships to board a vessel encountered on the high seas if there is 'reasonable groundfor suspecting' that the vessel is 'without nationality' or is 'engaged in slave trade.' The Thunder is now both without nationality and in all reasonable assessment, must be considered to be engaged in slave trade. In the name of human decency, in accordance with international law, responsible governments must immediately send naval vessels to intervene and shut down this floating prison.”
The Bob Barker has been engaged in a continuous pursuit of the Thunder for 100 days since it was first intercepted on December 17 2014, on the Banzare Bank, Antarctica.
The poaching vessel is the most notorious of six remaining IUU vessels – which Sea Shepherd calls the “Bandit 6” - that are known to target vulnerable toothfish in the Southern Ocean.
Commencing in December last year, Operation Icefish is Sea Shepherd’s first Southern Ocean Defence Campaign to target IUU fishing operators in the waters of Antarctica.
Crew of the Sam Simon resupply the Bob Barker for the ship's on-going pursuit of the Thunder.
Photo: Simon Ager Yesterday, the Sea Shepherd ship Sam Simon rendezvoused with fellow Sea Shepherd ship, Bob Barker, at 7˚ 27' South 02˚ 19 West, in the Atlantic Ocean. It is the second time the vessels have met during the course of Operation Icefish, Sea Shepherd's current Southern Ocean Defence Campaign, which commenced in December 2014.
The Sam Simon will be resupplying and lending support to the Bob Barker as the ship continues its world record breaking pursuit of the internationally blacklisted, Nigerian-flagged poaching vessel, Thunder.
Captain of the Bob Barker, Peter Hammarstedt, said, “The return of the Sam Simon is one more nail in the coffin of the Thunder. With it comes the reminder that we have at our disposal a ready support network that can, and will, outmatch anything the Thunder has available to them. We have the resources and we have the determination to see this chase through to the very end.”
The Thunder was first intercepted by the Bob Barker on December 17 on the Banzare Bank, Antarctica. Since that time, the Bob Barker has maintained a continuous pursuit of the poaching vessel, travelling from the Southern, to the Indian and now the Atlantic Ocean, over a staggering 98 days.
The Sam Simon departed from Port Louis, Mauritius, on March 9 where it had been for 10 days. The Sea Shepherd ship had travelled to the island state in order to hand-over evidence of the Thunder's illegal fishing activity to an international investigative team, coordinated by local authorities under the direction of a Criminal Intelligence Officer from international policing organisation, Interpol.
The Sam Simon also used the time in port to gather fresh supplies for the Bob Barker.
Crew of the Sea Shepherd ships coordinate the resupply operation through constant radio contact.
Photo: Jeff Wirth Captain of the Sam Simon, Sid Chakravarty, said, “We have travelled over 15,000 nautical miles through the course of Operation Icefish, starting in the South Pacific and meeting today with the Bob Barker in the South Atlantic. The rounding of the Cape of Good Hope in pursuit of the Thunder, first by the Bob Barker and then by the Sam Simon, is nothing short of legendary. The crew of the Bob Barker have been at sea for 111 days today and we are delighted to be by their side and it fills our hearts with joy and respect for these brave ocean warriors.”
The Thunder is the most notorious of the six remaining toothfish poaching vessels – which Sea Shepehrd calls the “Bandit 6” - that are known to engage in Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing for toothfish in the Southern Ocean.
The vessel has a long history of fishing violation and in December 2013 was issued with an Interpol purple notice for suspected illegal fishing activity, following a joint effort by New Zealand, Australian and Norwegian authorities.
The Thunder was the first of three “Bandit 6” poaching vessels that have been intercepted by Sea Shepherd during Operation Icefish. On February 2 this year, the Sam Simon intercepted the Kunlun and the Yongding in Australian waters west of the Ross Sea. The Sea Shepherd ship then engaged in a pursuit of the Kunlun, chasing the poaching vessel out of its hunting grounds in the Southern Ocean.
The Kunlun is currently in detention in Thailand, following a coordinated effort between Interpol and Thai, Australian and New Zealand authorities.
Commencing in December last year, Operation Icefish is Sea Shepherd’s first Southern Ocean Defence Campaign to target IUU fishing operators in the waters of Antarctica
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Commentary by Sea Shepherd Founder, Captain Paul Watson
Peter Hammarstedt, Captain of the Bob Barker
Photo: Sea Shepherd / Chiara Bussini Captain Peter Hammarstedt and his international crew of Sea Shepherd volunteers have been at sea now for 108 continuous days. And today marks the 93rd day of the pursuit of the Nigerian-flagged, Spanish-owned Antarctic toothfish poacher Thunder by the Bob Barker.
The chase that began off the Banzare Coast of Antarctica crossed the Indian Ocean into the South Atlantic and now both ships are in the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of Angola on a course of 344 True at 8.3 knots. The 0600 (UTC) position was 16 Degrees, 38 minutes South and 005 Degrees, 37 Minutes East.
Wherever the poachers go, Sea Shepherd intends to follow to prevent them from changing the name and flag of the Thunder in port. This is the longest pursuit of a poaching vessel in maritime history.
Meanwhile the toothfish-poaching vessel Kunlun continues to be detained in Phuket, Thailand after changing their name to Taishan and switching their flag from Equatorial Guinea to Indonesia.
They offloaded their cargo of 180 tons of toothfish with a false declaration and had it shipped to Vietnam. Thai authorities are saying they have demanded the return of the cargo and may place it back onboard the Taishan and order them to leave port.
Officials from the Spanish fishing company Vidal Armadores arrived in Phuket and apparently are working to get the detainment of the ship and crew lifted prior to the arrival of inspectors from INTERPOL, Australia and New Zealand.
Will the poachers avoid prosecution? The possibility is that they will, considering that the money behind these illegal fishing operations rivals that of illegal drugs and guns.
But as the drama in Phuket plays out, the high-seas chase continues in the South Atlantic some 1,000 miles south of the Equator as both the Thunder and the Bob Barker continue to head north.
Wherever the poachers go, Sea Shepherd intends to follow to prevent them doing a name and flag change. This is the longest pursuit of a poaching vessel in maritime history.
Meanwhile the KUNLUN continues to be detained in Phuket, Thailand after changing their name to TAISHAN and switching their flag from Equatorial Guinea to Indonesia.
They offloaded their cargo of 180 tons of Toothfish with a false declaration and had it shipped to Vietnam. Thai authorities are saying they have demanded the return of the cargo and may place it back onboard the TAISHAN and order them to leave port.
Officials from the Spanish fishing company Vidal Armadores arrived in Phuket and apparently are working to get lift the detainment of the ship and crew prior to the arrival of inspectors from Interpol, Australia and New Zealand.
Will the poachers avoid prosecution? The possibility is that they will, considering that the money behind these illegal fishing operations rivals that of illegal drugs and guns.
But as the drama in Phuket plays out the high seas chase continues in the South Atlantic some 1,000 miles south of the Equator as both the THUNDER and the BOB BARKER continue to head north.
Interpol wanted poaching vessel, Thunder, shadowed by the Sea Shepherd ships Bob Barker and Sam Simon
Photo: Sea Shepherd / Simon Ager
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