Argentina Intercepts Invading Illegal Chinese Fishing Vessel

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.

Argentina’s newly sworn-in President Javier Milei speaks outside the Congress in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on December 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Gustavo Garello)

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. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, on April 6, 2023. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

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.

The Chinese embassy in Argentina claimed in a social media post that, according to information handled by the embassy, the Chinese vessel showed “no signs of illegal fishing, and is now in international waters carrying out normal activities.”

After the incident, Argentine Defense Minister Luis Petri participated in a surveillance and patrol operation of Argentina’s waters.

“This active control of the Exclusive Economic Zone aims to prevent illegal operations by foreign vessels and stop the depredation of our valuable natural resources,” a social media message published by the Defense Ministry read.

Argentina, like other Latin American countries, has been the repeated target of Chinese fishing vessels that sail to the region’s waters to conduct illegal fishing, greatly endangering the local fish stocks.

A report published in February accused illegal Chinese vessels of hurting populations of local Argentine species such as squid and Patagonian toothfish. Another report published in 2023 stressed that, in addition to the threat of illegal Chinese fishing vessels, China’s communist government has bought up several Argentine fishing companies to reap profits from the local fishing industry.

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Last week, a Chinese fishing vessel identified as Tai An was found carrying 163 tonnes of Patagonian toothfish, clearly violating local fishing laws. The Patagonian toothfish is a species heavily protected by local authorities that requires a special fishing permit to catch. Only three companies presently possess it; the Chinese vessel did not belong to any of them.

The incident prompted outrage from local fishing companies with permits. The Patagonian toothfish cargo was reportedly seized by Argentine authorities, who imposed a $130,000 fine on the Tai An vessel.

In 2016, Argentine Coast Guard authorities chased and sank a Chinese vessel identified as Lu Yan Yuan Yu 010 after it was found illegally fishing in the exclusive EEZ area. Since 1986, Argentine authorities have seized 80 foreign-flagged fishing vessels, of which 12 of them were Chinese.

Christian K. Caruzo is a Venezuelan writer and documents life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter here.