Russian Fishing Vessel Sparta
The plan was for the South Korean icebreaker Araon accompanied by the fishing vessel Chiyo Maru No 3 to break through the ice to reach the stricken Russian fishing vessel Sparta today on Christmas Day. The Sparta was holed below the waterline by ice a week ago last Friday in the Ross Sea off Antarctica. The rescue plan has broken down as Chiyo Maru No 3, a sister ship to the Sparta, has had to turn back as it proved to be too slow and incapable of passing through the ice even with the assistance of the icebreaker Araon. The Aroan is escorting the Chiyo Maru No 3 back to open water and is now expected to reach the Sparta on Monday. The delay due to the sister ship once again raises the question of why non-ice strengthened fishing vessels have been granted permits to fish in the heavy ice of the Ross Sea.