MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina captures a Spanish vessel for presumed illegal fishing in the Argentine Sea.

The fishing vessel Piscator (IMO: 8801163) is sailing to Pto. Madryn

The Argentine Coast Guard (the Prefectura) has captured a Spanish flagged vessel in waters of the Argentine Sea that was carrying out fishing activities presumed to be without authorisation, Coast Guard sources confirmed to EFE today.

The security service said in a communiqué that the fishing vessel was found inside the Exclusive Argentine Economic Zone and was intercepted by coast guard ship GC 27 Fique, of the Argentine Coast Guard.

Sources of the Coast Guard consulted by EFE said that the Spanish flagged vessel, named as the “Piscator”, belonged to the fishing company De Bon, based in Galicia, and its last port of call was Montevideo.

According to the Coast Guard, the vessel was operating in Argentine waters, at the latitude of Comodoro Rivadavia (1,840 kilometres south of Buenos Aires) when it was detected by a coast guard patrol.

Spanish diplomatic sources consulted by EFE confirmed the arrest of the fishing vessel and stated that the circumstances of when the detection and arrest of the vessel took place must now be resolved, and whether the vessel was carrying out illegal fishing activities at that moment.

After detecting the vessel, the crew of the coast guard ship first established communication with the fishing vessel by radio and audible signals “with the objective of getting the vessel to stop, according to international regulations”, said the Coast Guard in its communiqué.

“The Spanish vessel did not comply with the order and tried to change course seeking international waters, which led to a pursuit. The captain of the coast guard vessel continued its calls over the radio without any interruption, in both Spanish and English, until the vessel stopped”, stated the communiqué.

According the Coast Guard, “an attempt was immediately made to arrange with the captain of the fishing vessel for it to be boarded by an inspection crew, but this was refused and the vessel then resumed it voyage”.

The Coast Guard vessel then began pursuing it again until the “Piscator” again stopped, and was boarded by officers of the Coast Guard.

According to the communiqué the coast guard officers stated that wet fishing equipment was on deck, two tonnes of fresh fish were being processed and there were 250 tonnes of frozen fish in the holds.

According to what Coast Guard sources have told EFE, the vessel, which is 72 metres long and 11.2 metres wide and has a crew of thirty, was being escorted today by the coast guard vessel towards the City of Puerto Madryn (1,470 kilometres to the south of Buenos Aires), where it would arrive on the afternoon of this Wednesday.

According to diplomatic sources consulted by EFE, the Spanish consul of the City of Bahia Blanca travelled to Puerto Madryn to meet the vessel and collaborate over the formalities.