14 January 2003
Taiwan
The 20-meter (65-ft) High Aim 6, registered in Taiwan and flying an Indonesian flag, was intercepted and boarded by the Australian navy last week about 300 km (185 miles) west of the fishing port of Broome after it was spotted drifting aimlessly.
A massive search in the area has turned up no survivors, life rafts or clues, but the presence of up to three tons of rotting tuna and mackerel in the hold has convinced police the boat was used by fisherman, not people smugglers.
"There weren't any indications on board that anything untoward had happened. The conditions on board were quite good," said a spokeswoman for the Australian Federal Police in Perth. She said the long-line fishing boat, which would have a crew of around 12, appeared well-equipped and seaworthy. The weather in the area has been calm for weeks.
Police have launched an international investigation in a bid to track down the owners or crew of the boat. "The only factor we have to work with at the moment is the fact that it is Taiwanese-owned, so we'll be going to the owners to try to learn a little bit more about the crew and a little bit more about the history of the vessel's passage to this point," the police spokeswoman said.
