The Bangun Perkasa, left, and the cutter Munro. USCG photoA U.S. Coast Guard officer today briefed the North Pacific Fishery Management Council on what's planned for the suspected illegal high-seas driftnet vessel Bangun Perkasa.
A contractor today or tomorrow will begin "rat remediation" on the vessel at sea. Presumably this means extermination.
The de-ratting process will take a week. Meantime, the 22 crewmen aboard the vessel will be taken off and repatriated to their home countries.
Once rat-free, the Bangun Perkasa will be brought into Dutch Harbor, where National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration authorities will place the vessel under arrest.
Most likely, the ship will be auctioned. Its owner, said to be "in China somewhere," might buy the vessel back, and this could serve as the owner's fine, the Coast Guard officer said.
How do we bid?
ReplyDeleteDoes it come with the driftnets or do you have to bring your own?
ReplyDeleteSink the f'n thing
ReplyDeleteThere is probably more of those stateless old ships lurking outside the line ready to dip their nets into the water when the think the coast is clear.
ReplyDeleteSo who pays for this repatriation? American tax payers? Will the proceeds from the auction go into the general fund or will it be used specifically to defer the costs of sending these guys home?
ReplyDelete