A mystery ship which ran aground on a reef between Australia and New Caledonia has baffled authorities in the French territory.
The 30-metre long vessel was spotted on Chesterfield reef on 19 April by a French Navy surveillance plane after coming to the attention of maritime authorities a few days earlier, local media have reported.
New Caledonia’s public prosecutor is investigating how the ship ended up in French territorial waters after the navy vessel Entrecasteaux inspected the hulk last a week.
"It appeared that the ship had been dutifully emptied and its identity concealed,” public prosecutor Alexis Bouroz said in a statement on Tuesday.
The navy vessel Entrecasteaux. Source: Twitter
“There was nothing to link it to any illegal fishing activity [sea cucumber or other] or to drug traffickers.”
Local media reported the owner and captain face charges for breaching the transport code, entering a maritime reserve and abandoning the vessel there.
Penalties include fines, up to two years jail and confiscation of the boat.
Australia's Maritime Safety Authority said it has no information about the vessel but is aware of its location as a navigation hazard due to warnings issued by New Caledonian maritime agencies.
