MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina launches South Atlantic operation targetting illegal fishing

The Mar del Plata-based Piedrabuena took over her new assignment in Ushuaia this week (Pic ARA)

Argentina's Joint Maritime Command has deployed the ARA Piedrabuena Oceanic Patrol Vessel (OPV) to combat illegal fishing through Operation Grifon XVI in the country's territorial Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Atlantic amid an increase in clandestine operations by jiggers, most of them of Chinese origin.

 “These tasks are carried out under the operational control of the Joint Maritime Command within the framework of Operation Griffon XVI,” read a statement from the Operational Command.

The measure is a response to the arrival of over 400 foreign fishing boats, mostly Chinese, South Korean, and Taiwanese. Some of these units were built between 2021 and 2022 and have a capacity of up to 1,500 tons of catch. They are said to target especially the Argentine illex squid.

In addition to endangering the species, the foreign fleet has low operating costs allegedly due to Chinese government subsidies and poor wages, which poses a threat to local fishermen.

The Southeastern Asia predators stem from the Atlantic Ocean through Cape Town, in South Africa, or via Cape Horn after fishing in Peruvian waters in the Pacific Ocean. They grab all types of squid regardless of size and condition. The smaller size is used for bait by longliners and vessels that use traps to capture other species of higher economic value.

Their crew's salaries average US$ 150 a month, while on Argentine ships they are about tenfold that much. The number of boats operating off Argentine Patagonia is expected to reach 450 this summer.

The Mar del Plata-based ARA Piedrabuena took over her new assignment in Ushuaia this week, performing tasks at Buen Suceso Bay (a route mainly used by tankers, cruise ships, and sailing ships seeking entrance to the Pacific Ocean) and at Puerto Parry, where new crews and supplies to the “Comandante Luis Piedra Buena” Naval Station were brought. Other exercises were performed on her way back, according to Navy sources.

The Piedrbuena also covers SAR (Maritime Search and Rescue) watch in the Ushuaia Search and Rescue Coordination Center, in compliance with international agreements to guarantee maritime assistance to any vessel in need. Maritime traffic increases considerably in the summer.

The French-built naval unit is 87 meters long, 13.6 meters wide, and has a range of 13,890 kilometers.