Hunting Antarctic toothfish poachers
If you were thinking of poaching Antarctic toothfish from the Ross Sea, think again.
Trefor Fox and his passionate Royal Navy officers aboard HMS Protector are on the case.
Fox said it was the first time the Royal Navy had patrolled the Ross Sea in 80 years, inspecting fishing vessels catching toothfish – a species of Southern Ocean cod.
‘‘It’s not in their interest to conduct illegal activity, and it’s not in their interest to be difficult with us,’’ he said.
Fox said the ship’s company was in awe of the Antarctic region, ‘‘endlessly fascinated watching the penguins and seals who live on these pieces of ice, as they react to this big red ship coming past’’.
‘‘We all appreciate the importance of the region, and this is why the Royal Navy has always had an ice patrol ship, and why we maintained our long-lasting links with Antarctica.’’
Acting British High Commissioner to New Zealand Helen Smith said Britain and New Zealand shared stewardship roles in the region, with the presence of the HMS Protector reinforcing the tie between the two nations.
‘‘This patrol has deepened that cooperation, and will ensure fishing and other commercial activities in the Ross Sea region are carried out in line with international conservation agreements.’’
HMS Protector is the only icebreaker in the Royal Navy, making it a special ship to serve on.
‘‘We’re not unique, we’re just different to everyone else,’’ Fox said.
Ice breaking was a process requiring precision and patience, he said.
‘‘It’s quite slow, you don’t rush at breaking ice, so it can be quite torturous.
‘‘You try to find cracks in the ice and push the ice, rather than break it.’’
The ship will be open to the public at Lyttelton Harbour on January 24, bringing about a unique opportunity to experience life on a Royal Navy icebreaker.
‘‘They’ll get to see some of the equipment we use and we’ve got lots of boats for them to see,’’ Fox said.