Credit must go to the New Zealand Navy offshore patrol vessel HMNZS Wellington for excellent work in monitoring and capturing video evidence of three fishing vessels illegally plundering the Southern Ocean.
The Songhua, Kunlun and Yongding, registered to Equatorial Guinea - clearly a flag of convenience - have been using
gill nets, which are banned in the strictly regulated waters around Antarctica because of the damage they do to the marine ecosystem.
Foreign Minister Murray McCully says New Zealand has contacted Equatorial Guinea's government to seek permission to board the vessels, which are "well-known repeat offenders". Environmental activist group Sea Shepherd says the ships should be arrested.
One of the fish they are illegally fishing is the Antarctic toothfish - one of the most lucrative catches in the world.
It is a thankless task as every year there seem to be more dodgy fishermen out plundering the Southern Ocean and more countries willing to register them.
