MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Companies with Falklands' “parallel” interests targeted

The Argentine Executive is waiting for the legal instruments to sanction those companies “illegally” fishing in the South Atlantic and meantime has begun intelligence gathering focusing on those companies with “parallel” interests, which means Argentina and the Falkland Islands, reports the Buenos Aires press.

"Our decision is that companies must decide on which side of the fence they will stand", said Gerardo Nieto, Argentina's Fisheries Under Secretary and the most influential man in the industry since he is identified as a "penguin", which in Argentine politics means he comes from Santa Cruz province and has direct access to the former governor and now president of Argentina Nestor Kirchner.

Several bills are currently under consideration in the Argentine Congress which will sanction and/or ban from all fishing activities in Argentina companies operating with Falkland Islands licences in the South Atlantic.

This has become Argentina's strategy, accepted by the entire political establishment, to counter the Falkland Islands' government issuing of long term fishing licences of up to 25 years.

"We're waiting for the legislation which obviously must not contravene international Law", explains Nieto who nonetheless admits intelligence gathering operations in anticipation of the bill's approval.

The Clarin article then mentions several examples. A few months ago the Argentine Federal Fisheries Council rejected a project for the incorporation of a vessel from Iberconsa since in their website the Spanish company includes as one of their trawlers the "Golden Touza", which actually "belongs to a company with headquarters in the Islands".

Another case mentioned is the "John Cheek" which was arrested several months ago "in Argentine waters with an alleged kelper flag" and which actually belongs to the Spanish company Pescapuerta. Apparently Pescapuerta, according to Argentine sources, "operates nine vessels with illegitimate licences and five with Argentine licences".

Other companies playing "parallel" or both sides of the fence are Pereira, with three vessels licenced in Argentina and six in Malvinas. Freiremar has one and one and Pescanova fourteen with Argentine licences and five with Malvinas licences.

The article ends saying that this has been a winner's year for both sides: Argentina landed 300.000 tons of squid and the Islands over 150.000 tons.