Author(s): G. Bruce Knecht

Travel

A rip-roaring tale of modern day piracy on the high seas and one of the longest and most dangerous pursuits in maritime history: the 21 day hunt for the Uruguayan fishing vessel suspected of poaching Patagonian Toothfish (aka Chilean Sea Bass) in Australian waters. On 7 August 2003, the patrol boat Southern Supporter came upon the Uruguayan long-liner Viarsa in one of the most isolated places on earth - the Australian Fishing Zone near Heard Island, 2200 nautical miles southwest of Perth. The patrol suspected Viarsa was carrying an illegal catch of the endangered Patagonian Toothfish. Thus began one of the longest and most dangerous pursuits in maritime history. The chase lasted 21 days and covered 3900 nautical miles through unimaginably rough seas. Hampered by snowstorms, icebergs, and the worst that the Roaring Forties could throw at them, the crews pushed their ships to the limit. Why was this fish so important that it was worth risking disaster? G. Bruce Knecht, the author of The Proving Ground - the definitive account of the 1998 Sydney to Hobart race disaster - has brought this great modern sea story to life after extensive interviews with both the pursuers and the pursued. Behind the chase and the subsequent legal battles lies the strange story of the Patagonian Toothfish, only recently brought to the surface from its deep ocean habitats. Popularised in America's most exclusive restaurants, it now faces an uncertain future. Hooked is the extraordinary story of a remarkable fish, the men who prey upon it, and the people who battle to save it from extinction. First published May 2006.