The boat was seized on arrival in Phuket on March 6 after its crew had successfully fled the Australian and new Zealand navies with its illegal load of toothfish. (See story here.)
An officer of the Royal Thai Navy confirmed to The Phuket News this morning that ship had disappeared on Tuesday (Sept 8).
“A search is under way to locate the missing vessel,” he said.
The officer declined to explain any more details.
Marine conservation group Sea Shepherd blamed New Zealand and Australian authorities for not detaining the illegal fishing vessel when they had the chance.
“When we criticised Australia and New Zealand for not arresting the Kunlun at sea, authorities in those two countries assured the international community that the most effective tool in the fight against these poachers was port state controls,” Sea Shepherd chairman Peter Hammarstedt said in a statement issued yesterday (Sept 9).
“If the vessel had been arrested by Australia or New Zealand, the catch would never have been returned.
“Instead, Australia and New Zealand’s unwillingness to arrest the Kunlun and seize its catch at sea has allowed this poaching operation to continue, and to profit from its crimes.”
At last report, Authorities in Phuket are waiting for word from Bangkok on what to do with the alleged illegal fishing vessel. (See story here).
The ship pulled into Phuket and offloaded eight containers holding 182 tons of fish, labelled “grouper”. These were taken by road to Songkhla where they were to have been loaded onto another vessel for shipment to Vietnam.
The consignment was intercepted by Customs there, however, and after examination it was discovered that the fish were not grouper, but Patagonian toothfish, known in Thailand as “snow fish”.
“The 182 tons of snow fish are being held in Songkhla waiting for final decisions from authorities.
“If it is proved that the ship reported falsely that the consignment was grouper and not snow fish, the people who will be held responsible for this, including the ship’s captain and the shipping agent [South Services Co Ltd of Phuket] will have to pay fines before they may take possession of the the cargo and take it out of Thailand,” said Pongpan Wongwuttisak, Chief of the Suppression Division of Phuket Customs Office, in March.
“However, Customs officials and working only on the import certificate with the false details. The Fisheries Office are also working on the cargo itself and there may be further infringements of the law found, with further fines.”
Phuket Marine Office Chief Phuriphat Teerakulpisut this morning has been unavailable for comment.
Phuket Customs officials declined to comment on the missing ship.