
The different chambers of the Argentine fisheries industry have joined efforts to expose alleged plans to grant the Chinese fishing fleet in the South Atlantic, “strategic corridors” in Patagonia ports for support and maintenance of their vessels, reports pescare.com.ar.

Argentina is getting tough on illegal unregulated fishing in the South Atlantic and is planning a joint effort by the Fisheries Under Secretariat, the Armed Forces and security forces. It is estimated according to government sources that Argentina loses some US$ 2.5 billion annually to illegal fishing which so far it has been unable to control. The report was published by Infobae.

A Chinese flagged jigger, “Hua Xiang 801” has fled from the Argentine Coast Guard, ignoring calls to stop engines, and intimidating shots, after it was discovered red-handed operating in Argentine waters early Sunday dawn.

A South Korean flagged trawler allegedly operating in Argentine waters was caught on Thursday red-handed with its nets in the sea and is being escorted to Comodoro Rivadavia.

China's “insatiable appetite” for seafood is straining the limited abilities of South American countries to enforce their maritime boundaries, according to an article in Dialogo, a website run by US Southern Command. Countries on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts have been affected, and most of the illicit fishing activity in those areas is done by Chinese vessels.

The Government of Gibraltar wishes to counter the untrue claims that there has been an agreement to allow the breaking of the Rock's marine protection laws by commercial fishermen. There is absolutely no truth to these claims.

Argentina's Fisheries Secretariat imposed a 400.000 Euros fine, (the highest possible) and the seizure of the cargo, some 550.000 Euros, to Galicia's Pesquerias Marinenses following the arrest of trawler Playa Pesmar Uno which was caught operating in Argentina's EEZ, in early February.

More than half of the world’s oceans are being commercially fished, spanning an area four times what is used for global agriculture, according to a new study published in the journal Science. The study is the first in-depth look at the global footprint of the industrial fishing industry.

Overfishing has given rise to a diplomatic trouble between China and Ecuador. In mid-August, Ecuador detained a Chinese vessel in the Galapagos Islands and found 6.600 sharks on board. The 20 Chinese fishermen have been sentenced up to four years for illegally fishing and to pay US$ 5.9 million.

The Argentine Coast Guard and Uruguayan navy failed in capturing a Chinese flagged jigger poaching in the two countries shared waters. According to non official reports, two Argentine Coast Guard vessels and a helicopter plus a Uruguayan aircraft and vessel were involved in the attempt to arrest Hua Li 8.