MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina tightens illegal fishing enforcement, elevating satellite tracking as evidence

The move is designed to reduce long-standing legal “grey areas” around the so-called “Mile 201” boundary

Argentina has tightened its enforcement framework against foreign vessels suspected of illegal fishing inside its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), giving greater evidentiary weight to satellite records and other remote sensors to open proceedings and impose fines, under a new regulation published in the Official Gazette.

The move is designed to reduce long-standing legal “grey areas” around the so-called “Mile 201” boundary, where large foreign fleets—often squid jiggers—congregate seasonally. Argentine authorities and industry observers say some vessels cross into the EEZ and later claim “innocent passage,” weather shelter, or technical problems to dispute enforcement actions.

The new rules set presumptions based on navigation patterns consistent with fishing activity—such as sustained low speeds and course changes typical of trawling manoeuvres. For squid jiggers, the regulation introduces tailored indicators linked to very slow movement during operating windows. It also provides for due process, allowing captains to submit counter-evidence and technical documentation (including weather reports or breakdown logs) to justify their track and speed profiles.

The tougher stance follows recent monitoring episodes by Argentina’s coast guard authority, including reports of a foreign-flagged vessel detected inside the EEZ with movements assessed as consistent with unauthorized fishing. The shift signals an intention to move from surveillance to penalties that can be sustained even when the core proof is remote—satellite and electronic tracking rather than on-scene interception.