Veronica To Be Sold

[bullfrog]

According to the news this morning, the super trawler Veronica is to be sold - possibly broken up for scrap

This monstrosity was fortunately denied access to Australian waters.

It could spend months at sea and has the dubious distiction of killing more fish than any other boat in history.

Good riddance I say!!

[spizza]

ditto!! Good riddance.....here's an article.

Supertrawler for sale as fishing tsar calls it a day

By Robert Wainwright

May 2, 2005

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The Irish fishing magnate Kevin McHugh appears to have given up attempts to get his super trawler Veronica into Australian waters.

The vessel, bigger than a football field and credited with killing more fish than any other boat in the world, is for sale after being refused entry into Australia last year because of concerns about its potential impact on fish stocks.

An Icelandic shipbroker, Alasund Shipbrokers, has advertised the Veronica for sale without disclosing a price. The Veronica cost $35 million to build 10 years ago.

The Alasund website says the Veronica is 106 metres long and can hold 3000 tonnes of frozen fish blocks. With accommodation for 44 crew, it can stay at sea for months at a time and transfer its catch at sea.

Mr McHugh, who named the boat after his wife, caused a storm of protest among environmental and fishing groups last year when the Herald revealed well-established plans to bring the Veronica to Australia to trawl virtually untouched fishing grounds for migratory fish such as mackerel.

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AdvertisementThe Federal Government initially dismissed the concerns as hypothetical, because no formal application had been made, but within weeks announced a temporary freeze on new boats and licence transfers until more research could be done to determine the environmental impact of bigger boats and bigger catches.

Although Mr McHugh, who could not be reached for comment, has withdrawn, local commercial operators are now lobbying to increase catches.

At a conference in Canberra last week Australia's biggest operators asked the Australian Fisheries Management Authority to consider increasing quota limits, which have been strictly limited in recent years.

Industry operators believe the quotas do not allow viable commercial operations that would supply fish meal for tuna farms off South Australia.

But officials of the authority are reluctant to raise catch limits until more research on fish numbers has been done.

The freeze was aimed at ensuring the fishery was not over-capitalised before a statutory management plan took effect, they said. It was not known whether Australia's small pelagic fishery stocks would support large-scale operations, the authority said.

Jon Bryan, of the Tasmanian Conservation Trust, said it was too early to raise quotas, but described initial research as promising.

The Veronica controversy had also been a blessing in disguise, he said. "It has highlighted the shortcomings of previous management techniques and encouraged everyone to think hard about proper management of the fishery."

[Hooch]

Yep saw the story, i was kinda surprised he couldn't grease enough hands to get it in, guess it's just too over the top for one boat, got the green vote to thank on that one.

[knapers]

Im glad/ Has anyone found a site with a few pics of the trawler it self?

I cant find any sites.

[knapers]

found a pic.

[knapers]

These things are fu@##$, there just murder ships aye.