An enthralling book that looks into the murky world of maritime poaching

The story of an infamous poaching ship that evaded justice for over 10 years

CATCHING THE THUNDER Eskil Engdal and Kjetil Saeter Loot.co.za (R250) Tafelberg

CATCHING the Thunder by Norway-based investigative journalists Eskil Engdal and Kjetil Saeter is an astonishing adrenalin rush of a book, one that tells an amazing topical story.

The idea for the book started in 2014 when the duo were discussing ideas for new articles for the Norwegian national daily newspaper Dagens Noeringsliv: “Do you remember the two fishing vessels that were wanted by Interpol? What was it that actually happened?”

Wanted by Interpol, infamous poaching ship Thunder evaded justice for over 10 years. Illegally making millions a year, its crew hunted endangered species and destroyed ocean habitats. The Sea Shepherd conservation society was intent on cracking down on this ship, and the global criminal network that supported it.

In December 2014, Captain Hammarstedt of the ship Bob Barker and his crew began a relentless pursuit of Thunder, a hazardous race across three oceans, including South African waters from the ports of Durban to Cape Town, in one of the longest chases in maritime history.

Engdal and Saeter follow this incredible expedition, encountering criminal kingpins, slavery, icy Antarctic waters, and an international community content to turn a blind eye.

Catching the Thunder is a magnificent read with all the ingredients of a first-rate thriller. Its chapters are short, and the pace is an accelerated one.

The writing takes one right into the Sea Shepherd’s bridge, the epicentre of the chase. The complex world of fish poaching is revealed “in all its glory” – baddies to the left, baddies to the right and baddies at the centre. Exotic locations, colourful characters. Corruption centre-stage all the way.

Along the way, one learns much about the intriguing and often frightening world of maritime poaching and the herculean efforts to combat the scourge.

Ebgdal and Saeter have done a remarkable job of research.

They conducted detailed interviews with the role players and also carried out background work into the owners of the illegal fishing trawlers who were making fortunes out of poaching Patagonian toothfish, an extraordinarily valuable commodity.

“The flavour of the tooth fish resembles a mixture of lobster and scallops, and some call it the best-tasting fish in the world. A British restaurant critic offered his readers the following advice: “It is seriously endangered, so you better eat as much as you can while stocks last.” The hunt for the “white gold” generated fortunes, cost hundreds of lives in shipwrecks and accidents at sea and came close to wiping out the slow-maturing delicacy.

Eventually, the search for the owner/s of The Thunder reaches Galicia. There they find a Spanish Mafia whose operations are skilfully cloaked in that blur of their illegal catches with suspicions of drug-trafficking.

Engdal and Saeter have managed to deliver such a vivid narrative, one that makes it seem as if they sailed with the Bob Barker on their epic chase. The duo’s combined writing skills and the incredible story line make Catching the Thunder one of the most thrilling reads I have had in years. To the book’s Norwegian authors I offer: Gratuler herrene!