05/04/2020 - 18:10
- Clarín.com
- Society
After a three-hour chase, an ocean patrol ship from the Navy managed to stop a Chinese ship that was fishing illegally in the Argentine Sea near Puerto Madryn and had in its holds about 300 tons of frozen fish.
In the early hours of Monday, the ARA "Bouchard" discovered the jigging boat "Hong Pu 16" specialized in catching squid with its automatic identification system turned off, its fishing lights on and its equipment deployed despite not having a permit for this activity in the Argentine Exclusive Economic Zone (ZEEA).
After ignoring repeated attempts at radio communication and light signals to allow the corresponding inspection, the foreign ship increased its speed and attempted to flee into international waters , the Navy reported on its official news portal.
In addition, the "Hong Pu 16" made permanent changes of course seeking refuge among the flotilla of fishing boats of different flags that was at mile 201, where the Argentine Sea ends.
Finally, the illegal Chinese fishing vessel stopped its march and allowed to be inspected. Argentine Navy Photo
The "Bouchard" continued the chase and after three hours made the Chinese boat stop moving.
When inspected by the Visiting, Registration and Capture (VRC) personnel together with an agent from the Nation's Undersecretariat of Fisheries, they verified that the offending vessel carried 700 kilos of fresh fish and 300 tons frozen in its holds.
The ARA "Bouchard", which set sail from the Mar del Plata Naval Base on Thursday, had supported the Coast Guard "Fique" of the Naval Prefecture to capture another illegal ship a day earlier.
In that operation they arrested the Portuguese fishing vessel "Calvao", who was accompanied by the coastguard to the Port of Bahía Blanca.
The ARA "Bouchard" during the persecution of the Chinese fishing vessel "Hong Pu 16" in the Argentine Sea. Argentine Navy Photo
Last week, officers from the Prefecture chased another Chinese vessel dedicated to catching squid in the EEZ at the height of Puerto Madryn.
Faced with the alert, the foreign vessel "turned off its fishing lights and began its navigation towards international waters, without responding to the calls made by different frequencies of the maritime mobile service, which is why its persecution began," Prefectura reported.
After several hours, the operation was terminated "in order to protect the lives of the crews of both vessels" due to adverse weather conditions.
Some activities do not seem to understand pandemics or quarantines. The Greenpeace organization warned last Thursday of "the illegal entry of almost 100 East Asian fishing vesselsto the Argentine Exclusive Economic Zone ", which" came after squid fishing ".
These vessels "can catch 50 tons per night and some ships can measure up to 70 meters in length," Greenpeace said in a statement.