Tag Archives: Far North Queensland
Prawn trawler crew rescued from sinking boat off Far North Queensland coast
The skipper of a prawn trawler has described watching it sink off the Far North Queensland coast after a passing freighter came to the crew’s rescue. The FV Santiago was about three kilometres offshore near Cedar Bay, south of Cooktown, on Tuesday evening when Steve Underhill found water pouring into the engine room and made the immediate call to abandon ship. “It was way too deep to worry about pumping out,” skipper Mr Underhill said. “We’d already lost it.” His three crew members included another experienced skipper, but also his wife and stepson. The Santiago crew activated an emergency distress beacon, and within 20 minutes, a Border Force plane flew over the trawler while nearby Sea Swift freighter, the Albatross Bay, mobilized to rescue the crew. Photos, >>click to read<< 07:26
Coronavirus devastates Australian export businesses as economic costs of emergency filter through
Sonia Einersen from Cairns-based business Torres Straits Seafood in Far North Queensland said live imports into China had been cut, so she had nowhere to sell her product. “The coronavirus has really affected the whole fishing industry, we do lobster and live coral trout, it’s affected both of those as well as pretty much every other fishing industry in Australia,” she said. “Boats are tied up, they can’t go out, >click to read< 15:25
Australian Maritime Safety Authority conducts crackdown on fishermen taking drugs
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority is undertaking a major campaign across Far North Queensland targeting fishing fleets under the influence of drugs. Five men have already been charged after Cairns Water Police conducted a joint agency patrol in remote northern waters. Water police travelled 800km over an extensive eight day operation from Cairns to Cape Grenville. The search began on the 20th September this year, targeting vessels that were operating under the influence of drugs. Sergeant Andrew Ibell said the amount of fishermen with drugs in their system was alarming and correlated with marine incidents over the last few years. In total 37 boats were intercepted and five skippers tested positive to having drugs in their system. It is alleged a combination of methamphetamine and cannabis was detected within the operators,’ Mr Ibell said. Read the rest here 19:51
