Fishing vessel sinks after collision near Argentina’s EEZ

Chinese flagged vessel Zhong Yuan Yu 11 sank on Friday after a collision with Spanish trawler Pesca Vaqueiro; all 30 crew were rescued by nearby fishing vessels.

The Argentine Navy received a distress signal from Zhong Yuan Yu 11 at around 2am; subsequently the Argentine Naval Prefecture (PNA) mobilized coastguard GC-24 Mantilla and a nearby aircraft to the location. The ill-fated vessel sank close to the outer limit of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) at a similar latitude to Comodoro Rivadavia.

Nuestromar reports that radars detected between 230 and 250 vessels near the EEZ following the incident, probably fishing illegally for squid. There is a growing concern of illegal fishing in Argentine ocean territory. Reports suggest scores of Chinese, Korean, and Spanish vessels are involved in illegal fishing at the EEZ border. These boats use Montevideo port to replenish supplies. Last week, DatamarNews reported Argentina’s undersecretary for fisheries, Juan Bosh, has called for an urgent update of the sanctions for illegal fishing.

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