WELLINGTON, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand's military on Tuesday warned fishing vessels in the Antarctic waters that it was serious about enforcing compliance with international fishing regulations.
The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) maritime and aerial surveillance patrols in the Southern Ocean had so far boarded and checked nine licensed fishing vessels, said Major General Tim Gall, Commander Joint Forces New Zealand.
"Our patrols covered a lot of ground in the first week of operations. There was no mistaking the message that we want to get across -- we are serious about ensuring compliance with fishing regulations in the Southern Ocean," Gall said in a statement.
The NZDF was "committed to enforcing the government's pledge to safeguard the unique and fragile environment of the Southern Ocean."
The NZDF had deployed offshore patrol vessel HMNZS Wellington and a P-3K2 Orion surveillance aircraft to carry out the compliance patrols in support of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR).
The licensed CCAMLR fishing season in the Ross Sea region south of New Zealand started on Dec. 1 and will continue until the agreed limits are reached in January or early February 2017.
Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee said last month that New Zealand was working closely with international partners to stamp out illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the Southern Ocean.
The 25-member CCAMLR unanimously agreed to the New Zealand-United States proposal to establish the Ross Sea Marine Protected Area (MPA) in October.
The Ross Sea will be home the world's biggest MPA when it comes into force.
It will cover roughly 1.55 million square kilometers, of which 1.12 million square km will be a no-fishing zone.
The Ross Sea region has an unbroken food-chain, still with all of its top-level predators, according to New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
