MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Taiwanese blaze and scuttle jigger after caught poaching

An Argentine naval vessel fired on Saturday warning shots at a Taiwanese jigger allegedly illegally fishing in Argentine Patagonian waters. However after several hours' persecution the crew set the jigger “Win Lien Sheng III” on fire and jumped over board before she went down.

"This was a clear signal to the world that Argentina is a sovereign state and will not allow violations of its laws", said an official Argentine spokesperson quoted by La Nacion newspaper from Buenos Aires.

The Taiwanese vessel was sighted early morning 04:30 catching squid by the Argentine corvette "Drummond" during a routine fisheries protection patrolling mission east of Viedma, Chubut province, apparently seven miles inside Argentina's EEZ.

On being sighted "Win Lien Sheng III", rapidly steamed towards international waters taking advantage of fog banks in the area.

However after four hours persecution the Taiwanese jigger was still closely followed by the ARA Drummond which continually, and in different languages, radioed stop engines message.

Mid morning air surveillance began and after consulting the Argentine Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence, the corvette fires several warning shots over the bow of the jigger. Apparently an only shot against the vessel damaged the rudder system.

But unexpectedly the vessel was set on fire, and probably scuttled, by the crew which then jumped overboard and was rescued by other jiggers legally operating in the area and the "Drummond".

By 10:20 of the morning the jigger had sunk and the Argentine corvette headed for Mar del Plata where the rescued crew members were turned over to a Federal court.

In spite of the surprise reaction of the jigger's crew, Argentine naval sources said that Taiwanese vessels normal procedure when unable to escape, is sinking the vessel so avoid having to pay fines or being endlessly docked while the litigation process continues.

This squid season Argentine naval units have arrested several vessels from Korea, Spain, China and now the sinking of the Taiwanese jigger.

Spanish fishing companies operating in the South Atlantic have bitterly complained about the area's charts' "inaccuracy" from where the EEZ 200 miles limit is drawn, and the fact that Argentine prefer to target "Spanish vessels that ultimately pay the fines and do no scuttle their vessels as do several Far East countries captains".