Catching Thunder: The Story of the World’s Longest Sea Chase

Norwegian journalists Engdal and Saeter chronicle the recent pursuit of the Thunder, an illegal fishing vessel plying the waters off Antarctica, in a surprisingly tepid narrative. On Dec. 17, 2017, Peter Hammarstedt, captain of the Bob Barker (a vessel belonging to the Sea Shepherds Conservation Society and named for the American game-show host) set out in pursuit of the rogue vessel. The authors set the stage early on, pitting one boat against the other. The Thunder, with an international crew and among “a fleet of battered trawlers and longline fishing vessels” wanted by Interpol, had been poaching fish for decades. Hammarstedt, meanwhile, was determined to catch it, “destroy the fishing gear and hand the crew over to the coast guard or port authorities.” A cat-and-mouse pursuit ensues. Engdal and Saeter shine a broad light on maritime crimes committed in international waters by mixing in other stories of outlaw ships. Though pervasive, the authors write, maritime crimes are difficult to prosecute as profits are often hidden in tax havens, complicating the paper trail. Furthermore, “it is virtually impossible to induce those who know the operation from the inside to talk.” The authors aren’t able to fully capture the excitement of the chase, and once they reach the final days of the 110-day chase, the action comes too little, too late. Readers will easily root for Hammarstedt, but may lose interest in this lackluster maritime narrative. [em](Mar.) [/em]