Fishing companies from 12 countries are queuing to catch one of the world's last relatively unexploited fish, the Antarctic toothfish, found in the Ross Sea south of New Zealand, New Zealand Herald reported Monday.

The paper said 26 vessels from the 12 countries have been granted permits to fish there this summer, up from 15 vessels from five countries last year.

The Antarctic species, also known as Mawson's cod, is found only in the Ross Sea below 65 degrees South.

The Ross Sea species sells at a wholesale price of 18 NZ dollars (about 11.5 US dollars) a kilo, valuing last summer's catch of 1,792 tonnes at 32.25 million NZ dollars (about 20.6 million US dollars).

This summer the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources has slightly reduced the allowable catch from 3760 to 3250 tonnes, the Auckland-based daily reported.

But this is still well above last year's actual catch, giving scope for more fishing.

The surge of extra fishing interest in the region has come just as New Zealand marine strategy group convened by Antarctica NZ was meeting at Scott Base to discuss possible areas to be protected against fishing.

US penguin scientist David Ainley, who met the group, has proposed that the whole of the Ross Sea should become a marine protected area, arguing that it is Earth's last remaining sea where the top natural predators have not been taken out by humans.

The fishing industry has reached the region only in the past few years, catching just 626 tonnes of Mawson's cod in 2000-01 and 1,321 tonnes the next year, before last season's 1,792 tonnes, the paper said.

Two New Zealand vessels tested the fishery in 2001-02 and six last season.

Grahame Morton, who is an official at New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, said the 26 approved vessels included six from New Zealand, three from the Ukraine, two each from Argentina, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, the United States and Uruguay, and one each from Britain, Japan and Norway.

Six other vessels + three from Namibia, two from Russia and one from Uruguay + withdrew their applications.

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