MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina reports illex squid is back, and announces new monitoring approach along EEZ mile 201

Defense minister Luis Petri with the commanders of ARA Cordero at the launching of the new approach to protect natural resources

Squid is back, and with good prospects for the catch season, according to reports from Argentina that also announced the launching of an aggressive vigilant and monitoring campaign between the Navy and Coast Guard to check on the estimated 350 Asian jiggers next to the 201 plus mile don't slip into the Argentine EEZ to “steal our sea resources”

The Argentine jiggers fleet since Sunday moved to parallel 44South, ESEast of Puerto Camarones and north of the San Jorge Gulf with daily squid catches to the tune of 45 tons, of good sized commercial specimens, “considerably better than those with which the fleet operated a year ago” at approximately the same time and zone'. Catches are in the range of sizes S and M.

As every year there are two fleets operating, one with the supply of provisions and which also collect catches, and the second that provides fuel and lubricants. Reefers mentioned are Procyon, Frío Poseidón, Panama flagged, the Scout in the Falklands and Ning Tai Leng 8 from China. Fuel suppliers include Centaurus (Liberia), Océano Splendid (Panama), Hai Xing (Liberia), Noel (South Korea), and Jason.

Meanwhile from Mar del Plata naval base, Argentine minister of Defense Luis Petri, members of the Armed Forces Joint Command and local authorities participated in the launching of the monitoring campaign along the 200 miles of the Argentine EEZ.

Minister Petri boarded ARA Cordero, the modern French made Ocean Patrol Vessel, which will be heading the patrolling and vigilance mission. It was outlined that it was the first time an Argentine Defense minister participated in the launching of such a mission.

“If we want to be effective and efficient in the control and patrolling of mile 200, we must change the way we have been doing so, jointly between the navy and the coast guard, to ensure that no foreign flagged vessel endangers our natural resources,” said minister Petri addressing officer and crew of ARA Cordero.

“We must implement a strategy different to that so far implemented to ensure we dissuade jiggers, mostly Chinese from continuing to plunder, illegally, the Argentine sea”. He added that “if we continue with the same methods, we will only obtain the same results. We must be very clear that we are talking of some 450 to 500 vessels that come across from the Pacific and operate from mile 201. So far we have individualized 344 of these vessels...”

“We must also be aware that many of those vessels turn off their tracking systems so they can slip into our EZZ, but we are going to change the routine, we are going to concentrate efforts from December to March, when the high point of the Illex squid season.

”We will not be distracted with long patrolling duties along the Argentine coast, from Mar del Plata to Cape Horn, now we will be working next to parallels 44 and 45 where squid mostly concentrates. This is to be done also with air support, satellite control, and also changing the legal system and ordinance, particularly sanctions when incursions to the Argentine EEZ“

Minister Petri also anticipated that government control beyond the 200 miles is another argument which can be addressed differently, that is as part of the environment conservation, and we believe FAO is interested in the matter as part of its combat on illegal, unreported, unregulated fishing. This is an issue we need to address with other states, not on sovereignty basis but on environment protection principles, ”something which Ecuador achieved by extending its EZZ around the Galapagos islands some fifty miles, but it did so in “agreement with other countries. This can and should be a path we must follow,” minister Petri finished his speech.