By Deidre Mussen
The Southland Times
NEW ZEALAND — Another toothfish tragedy has blighted Antarctic waters after a Korean fishing boat erupted in flames, killing three crew members and badly burning two others.
A further five crew suffered less severe burns when the Jeong Woo 2 caught fire overnight Tuesday about 2000 nautical miles (3700km) southeast of New Zealand and about 600km north of McMurdo Station, the Rescue Co- ordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) said.
Two other Korean fishing boats, sister ship Jeong Woo 3 and Hong Jin 707, evacuated the stricken ship’s crew yesterday morning but three missing crew members were presumed to have died in its accommodation block, where the fire started.
A RCCNZ spokeswoman said the United States research ship Nathaniel B Palmer reached the boat last night and had suitable medical facilities to assess and treat the men.
The ship was sailing towards McMurdo Base last night to put the injured seamen ashore for further treatment and possible evacuation to Christchurch, she said.
By yesterday evening, the 51m ship remained ablaze but afloat. A third rescue boat, the Argos Georgia, had also arrived at the scene.
However, it was unclear how the remaining uninjured crew would be repatriated home, which was up to the ship’s owners and their home countries to arrange.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade would be involved with liaising with relevant embassies, the spokeswoman said.
The boat’s 40 crew members were from Korea, Vietnam, Russia and Indonesia.
Green Party Oceans spokesman Gareth Hughes yesterday said the incident should serve as a “wake- up call” for the Government to close off the Ross Sea as a marine protected area.
“This pristine environment must not be put at risk by old, single-hulled unsuitable fishing boats like these, that race to catch as much as they can despite the weather in the ‘Olympic’ style fishery,” he said.
The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources manages Antarctic fisheries under an international treaty agreed to by New Zealand and 24 other countries. It came into force in 1982.
For the year starting last December 1, 29 boats from nine countries were licensed to catch Patagonian or Antarctic toothfish in waters covered by the convention, including seven New Zealand boats.
Copyright 2012 The Southland Times Company Limited
All Rights Reserved