AS we see that the Oceanic Viking has picked up another boat load of illegal immigrants near Ashmore Reef, I am wondering who is patrolling Australia’s Antarctic Territorial Waters to stop the Patagonian Toothfish poachers.
The single reason we were told that this ship was leased by the Australian Government, at huge cost, was because of its suitability for long-term operations in Antarctic waters as the threat to Toothfish stocks was so serious from poachers from South America that fish stocks could be wiped out.
But it now seems that, thanks to Mr Rudd’s “tough but humane policy on border protection”, the Toothfish is no longer of any importance but having Oceanic Viking roaming around the Indian Ocean picking up illegal immigrants is.
Thanks to Mr Rudd, we now have one door open to very serious fish poachers around Antarctica and another open to illegal immigrants.
Well done Mr Rudd.