MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina to reinforce fisheries patrol in S. Atlantic

Argentina's hard line towards poachers in the South Atlantic fisheries will continue and reinforced with the purchase of five armed patrol vessels, reports the Buenos Aires press.

The Argentine Navy and Coast Guard have been very active during the current squid season having caught several jiggers illegally fishing inside the country's EEZ and in the last incident on April 2 opened fire against a fugitive Taiwanese vessel which was finally scuttled and set on fire by the poachers.

This week President Nestor Kirchner met with Navy Commander Admiral Jorge Godoy to review the situation in the South Atlantic, particularly the hot pursuit of the Taiwanese "Win Lieng Sheng III" by the corvette "Drummond" and plans for the incorporation of five armed fisheries patrols.

Apparently during the whole incident, last Saturday April 2, both the Foreign Affairs and Defence ministries were kept in real time contact of the situation and coincided in authorizing the warning shots given the jigger's refusal to stop engines and continue fleeing.

According to Argentine naval sources the "Win Lieng Sheng III" was detected operating seven miles inside the Argentine EEZ.

Apparently Taiwan's Economic Office in Buenos Aires complained bitterly about the incident. Argentina has no formal diplomatic relations with Taipei but nevertheless pointed out that the jigger's captain for several hours refused to answer radio messages, in different languages sent by the pursuing corvette. Furthermore, when the warning shots the Taiwanese captain again disobeyed until she was hit in the rudder.

The Taiwanese crew then deliberately scuttled and set the jigger on fire which eventually sunk.

As to the five armed fisheries patrol vessels, "the idea is to provide the Navy with a versatile weapon to protect our fisheries impede depredation and ensure sovereignty in the South Atlantic", said an Argentine government source.