NationStates Jolt Archive

HMFV Venture
Diller Bank
185 nautical miles from Ursavan national waters

Captain Duncan Barring watched the sun rise over the horizon as he sipped his third cup of tea of the morning. The waters of the Diller Bank were rather cold this time of year and a light frost covered the Venture’s deck. Barring and the Venture were a dying breed, an independent fishing vessel, the fertile fishing grounds off of Tolvan and its colonies were increasingly being dominated by the much larger and more advanced ships of the major fishing conglomerates. As a result most independents were bought out or forced to shut down. None of that was helped by the Government’s new quotas designed to eliminate over fishing. Most of the remaining independents had been forced to move to foreign fishing grounds just to survive. Many foreign nations were eager to allow Tolvanic boats to fish their waters in exchange for bribes and others simply lacked the resources to stop foreign boats from fishing in their waters. However, the relative ease of fishing Third World waters was offset by one major risk, piracy. The type of nations that lacked the will of ability to protect their waters from fishermen were also unable or unwilling to tackle piracy. The Royal Navy did its best to reign this threat in, however there simply weren’t enough ships to cover every trouble spot and besides the Navy couldn’t afford to look as though it was enabling the illegal fishing.

As Barring had no desire to tangle with pirates he’d opted instead to fish near Ursavan waters, while Ursava was considerably more capable then any Third World dump at protecting its waters, it was also much safer and considerably more civilized. Besides the Diller Bank was almost five nautical miles outside of Ursava’s recognized EEZ and even though the locals regularly harassed the dozen or so Tolvanic and several other foreign boats fishing the Bank, they stopped well short of boarding or firing on a ship sailing under His Majesty’s flag.

Had Duncan Barring known what lay ahead he would have set sail for Tolvanic waters that instant, but instead he continued fishing.

"This is Thundercheif 1: I have spotted an illegal fishing vessel, over." Said the pilot of the Hind-D attack/transport helicopter.

"Rodger that, do not open fire, only attempt to stop the vessel and identify it, over." Came the response.

"Understood, over and out." The pilot said.

Duncan, as he watched the sun rise slowly over the horizon, would start to hear the sounds of one of the world's deadlier attack choppers heading right for his boat. As he looked up the Hind-D would go tearing overhead, close enough one could swear that their landing gear almost touched the highest point of the civilian owned vessel before slowing down to a hover, whirling around, and pointing several rocks, a pintle-mounted cannon, and various other weapons in the general direction of the boat while over their radio came the Russian-accented voice of the pilot.

"Attention illegal fishing vessel, you are trespassing in Ursavian waters: identify yourself immidiatelly or face reprecussions." The pilot said.

Meanwhile the Ursavian Coastal Guardsmen were on their way.

OOC: Apologies for the delay in posting.

HMFV Venture
Diller Bank
185 nautical miles from Ursavan national waters

Barring squinted as the Ursavan helo buzzed his ship. Barring knew that such actions were more about bluster than anything else, Barring had stared down guns many times in his career and he had no intention of panicing as the pilot proably though he would. He removed the mic from its harness and set the radio for the guard frequency used by the Ursavan helo, "Ursvan helo, I am a civilian fishing vessel flying the flag of the Commonwealth of Tolvan. I am operating in international waters outside of your recognized Exclusive Econommic Zone. You have no authority to harrass my vessel. Over."

After he killed the mic he turned to his first mate, "Charlie, see if you can't the Navy on the horn in case the Savies get frisky."

HMS Banler (K-261)
15 nautical miles S of HMFV Venture

The Island class corvette Banler was part of the small picket of RN vessels assigned to patrol the waters near the Diller Bank and keep an eye on the various fishing boats that traled the waters near the Ursavan EEZ. Within a minute of receiving the Venture's message the Banler was enroute to its location at twenty knots. At that speed it would take the corvette less about forty minutes to reach the trawler.

Island class corvette (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=13885435&postcount=256)

OOC: It's Ursavians, not Ursavans.


"You were headed on a suspicious route with no sign of turning, you should be smarter, turn away from the EEZ line and fish in your own waters: we've already had enough illegal fishermen already." Came the pilot's reply.

Meanwhile the coast-guard was being deployed inside the EEZ to make sure that other vessels wouldn't try and make a run for it. Not only at that specific point but with Tolvanic vessels having tried many times to make their way in only to back off with meager excuses when diversionary tactics similar to that one failed, they couldn't take any chances and began to patrol. Of course it would take hours for the entire border to be under full patrol but only an hour at best for an individual vessel. That could just show somebody how suspicious the Ursavian government was getting over constant illegal fishing from the Tolvanic fishermen and other such forces that always tried to encroach on Ursavian waters.

"Attempt to cross the border and you will be boarded." The pilot said before peeling off towards the nearest Ursavian military vessel.

OOC: My apologies.

HMFV Venture
Diller Bank
185 nautical miles from Ursavian national waters

Barring watched as the Ursavian Hind flew off towards the horizion. Barring didn't bother to respond to his last threat as he had no intention of crossing the well documented boundary line of the Ursavian EEZ. Still, just to be safe he altered his course to put five more nautical miles between his ship and the boundary. Barring had seent his paticular tactic from the locals before, there undoubtably a Ursavian Navy or Coast Guard vessel on the way to harrass him further and the further away he was the harder it would be for them to find him. Besides, a nearby RN vessel had responded to his message and would reach him in just over 35 minutes. Barring doubted the Ursavians would be so aggreesive under the watchful eye of the Royal Navy.

NPNS Resolution
Home Islands, The Commonwealth of Tolvan

The imposing frigate cruised the blue waters of the South Pacific, slowly navigating its way through the chain of islands that formed Tolvan. A distinctive Prosperitan maritime flag fluttered in the wind. The ensign indicated that the ship was sailing in foreign waters. The Resolution was indeed a long way from home. It had left port in Blairtown some three months ago to engage in training exercises with Novus Prosperitas' allies Pacifica. She was now enroute to the Tolvan capital on what would be the first goodwill visit to Tolvan by a Prosperitan Navy ship. Earlier, the Prosperitan Government had confirmed the visit with the Tolvan administration and the appropriate authorities were informed. The visit was part of a campaign by Securitas to bolster Novus Prosperitas' standing in the international community and pave the way for better trade relations.

OOC: I apologize for being my delay in posting, RL's a bitch. I should have a decent IC post up this weekend.