China demands investigation into sinking of fishing boat by Argentina’s coastguard
Argentina says trawler was operating without permission and was chased, with warning shots fired, before it tried to ram coastguard vessel
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Beijing has expressed “serious concerns” over the sinking of a Chinese trawler that was fishing illegally in a restricted area off Argentina’s coast.
Authorities in Argentina said on Tuesday that they opened fire on the Chinese trawler as it deliberately tried to ram a coastguard vessel.
The incident took place on Monday, when the Chinese trawler, Lu Yan Yuan Yu 010, was fishing without permission off Peurto Madryn, 1,300km south of Buenos Aires, inside Argentina’s exclusive economic zone.
The Argentinian coastguard chased and fired warning shots at the Chinese vessel, which then turned off its lights and deliberately tried to hit the government boat.
“On several occasions the offending ship performed manoeuvres designed to force a collision with the coastguard vessel, putting at risk not only its own crew but coastguard personnel, who were then ordered to shoot parts of the vessel,” Argentina’s coastguard said in a statement.
All 32 Chinese sailors were saved. Four were picked up by the Argentinians and 28 were rescued by a nearby Chinese vessel. The boat’s captain was due to be handed over to police and appear before a judge.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said Beijing had lodged urgent representations with Argentina and demanded a full investigation.
China also urged Argentina to ensure the safety and legitimate rights and interests of the Chinese crew and to take measures to avoid a repeat of such incidents.
Argentina’s foreign ministry said the country’s judiciary was investigating the incident.
Yantai Marine Fisheries, the company that owns the fishing ship, could not be contacted.
China’s fishing boats have sailed into international waters as the country’s appetite for seafood soars and catches plummet in waters closer to home due to pollution and overfishing.
Many such operations have been illegal and attracted complaints from other countries. Two years ago, Argentina’s coastguard seized an unlicensed Chinese vessel with 180 tonnes of fresh squid caught off its coast.
Monday’s high-seas drama was a result of a lack of awareness of international regulations among Chinese fishermen, Jin Yongming, director of the Ocean Strategy Studies Centre at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, said. He said the Chinese government should reinforce measures to stop such incidents.
Chinese authorities have regulations on the code of conduct for fishermen when they sail to distant waters, according to Wang Hanling, director at the National Centre for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Chinese fishermen were also required to obtain licences from the Chinese government before they could catch fish in foreign waters, Wang said. But Jin said that occasionally some fishermen ignored these regulations.
In a report on China’s illegal fishing operations, Greenpeace said fishing companies had significantly expanded their operations – which mostly deployed destructive fishing methods – in African waters in the past few decades.
Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse and Associated Press
