PIRATE fishing ships are devastating populations of fish and seabirds in Antarctic waters. Fish destined for the table, like the boatload of Patagonian toothfish intercepted last month, are only part of the problem. Illegal catches of krill are also putting a wide range of sea life in peril (New Scientist, 26 July, p 10). I asked ministers at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) to what extent the UK recognises this problem.
The gist of their replies was that the main task facing the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources is to combat the increase in illegal…
