This year's first forest fires spotted in S Primorye

.ITAR-TASS overnight news cycle for Wed, Feb 16 - 3.

.Acft, helicopters ready to join in search for missing trawler.

PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, February 16 (Itar-Tass) - The aircraft and
helicopters of Russia's Pacific Fleet (PF) and the Northeastern border
department of the FSB (Federal Security Service) Coast Guard are ready to
join in the search for the trawler Amethyst that disappeared in the Sea of
Okhotsk, an official at the sea rescue subcenter has told Itar-Tass.
An Il-38 aircraft of the PF is being at Nikolayevka airfield in
Khabarovsk Territory is being prepared for a flight to the search
operation area. An An-72 plane of the FSB is getting ready in
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Each aircraft has been assigned to fly over a
specified sea area.
A Mi-8 helicopter of the Ministry for Emergencies in Magadan and
another Mi-8 of the Kamchatka Airlines Company, staying at Ust-Khairyuzovo
Township on the Kamchatka Peninsula have been unable to take off owing to
adverse weather in the basing areas. They are prepared to join in the
search operation as soon as meteorological conditions improve.
At sea, the search for the missing trawler is being carried on by
eleven ships. The operation is being coordinated by the border patrol ship
Anadyr. Situation reports are sent to the search-and-rescue operation
headquarters every four hours. If any traces of the Amethyst are spotted,
a report to this effect will be immediately sent to
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a sea rescue service official said. The search
has been to no avail so far.
The last session of radio communication with the Amethyst was carried
out on Fed 10. On the next day the ship for the last time radioed data on
its whereabouts in the area of Shelikhov Bay where it was awaiting
refuelling, for its fuel reserves amounted to 12 tonnes, with 24-hour
consumption being three tonnes. A search for the trawler was launched on
Feb 12. The missing trawler did not issue a distress signal. No signal
from an emergency radio buoy on board the ship was spotted either.
Specialists do not rule it out that the ship is currently deenergized and
is drifting in the ice.
The trawler belongs to the Kamchatka-based fishery and oceanography
research institute (FGUP Kamchatka NIRO) and is registered at the port of
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The trawler also engaged in crabbing operations
at sea. There are 23 crewmembers on board.

.This year's first forest fires spotted in S Primorye.

VLADIVOSTOK, February 16 (Itar-Tass) - This year's first forest fires
have been recorded in the south of the Primorsky (maritime) Territory, or
Primorye, for short. Several foci of fire have been spotted in Khasan
Nature Park in sectors adjacent to Posyet Gulf and to the Federal wildlife
sanctuary Leopardovy (leopard land).
Yelena Starostina, press secretary of the Amur branch of the World
Wildlife Fund, has told Itar-Tass that efforts to grapple with the fires
are being made by the personnel of hunting sector and farming enterprises.
An uncontrolled burning out of dry grass ahead of spring-time fieldwork is
referred to as the main cause of the emergence of forest fires.
Specialists note the incidence of forest fires too early in the year.
As a rule, first forest fires in the Territory are usually recorded early
in April. However, this year the snow cover in Primorye's south-west has
practically melted following succession of warm days.