by Christian K. Caruzo
The Argentine Navy intercepted and boarded an illegal Chinese fishing vessel caught 12 miles inside the nation’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), local media reported Wednesday.
The incident marks the latest known case of a Chinese fishing vessel illegally entering South American waters, a recurring problem with serious consequences for local fish stocks and regional economies.
Sources from the Argentine Defense Ministry told the newspaper La Nación that the incident occurred on Tuesday evening when Argentine authorities detected the Chinese fishing vessel sailing at low speed some 12 miles west of the EEZ. The vessel had disabled its automatic identification systems (AIS), a violation of regulatory provisions for vessels transiting in the area.
The Chinese vessel was detected by an Argentine patrol ship when it was carrying out its duties near the border between Chubut and Santa Cruz, where the squid harvest takes place.
“During the pursuit, [the vessel] did not answer the calls of the Argentine military vessel until [it reached] just past the 200 nautical mile line. Already in international waters, it started communicating in broken English,” the Defense Ministry source told La Nación.
“When called by radiotelephony it increased its speed, turned on its identifier, and adopted a direction of departure from our jurisdiction zone,” the source continued.
The Chinese vessel reportedly refused to be inspected, ultimately acceding to it after Argentine authorities threatened to make a formal complaint to force the ship to dock at an Argentine port. Argentine authorities reportedly found no signs of recent fishing activity on the Chinese vessel.