Recent reporting has discovered nearly 200 Chinese vessels illegally operating in Argentina’s exclusive economic zone.
When it comes to its exclusive economic zone (EEZ), Argentina does not mess around. Buenos Aires has deployed its coast guard to thwart the exploitation of its coastlines by illegal and unregulated fishing. Though Beijing frequently denies fishing vessels bearing the Chinese flag take part in such activities, evidence documented by the Argentine military and open-source trackers suggests otherwise.
As the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has greatly expanded its naval capabilities over the last few decades, the nation’s distant fishing operations have increased simultaneously. According to the European Parliament, the PRC now possesses one of the largest industrial distant water fishing fleets across the globe. The London-based Overseas Development Institute has published reports mirroring this number, even estimating that at least 17,000 vessels operating under the Chinese flag are in action. Due to Argentina’s already dwindling local fish stocks, preventing further encroachments on its coastlines is a priority for its government.
Argentina’s Defense Ministry described the nation’s efforts to counter illegal fishing along its coastline on social media, noting that “In this government, we defend the Argentine sea with all the resources at our disposal. From [nautical] mile 200, the Argentine Navy … under the coordination of the Joint Maritime Command, stands firm, patrolling and watching and ensuring that no foreign ship crosses our exclusive economic zone to plunder what belongs to Argentines. Sovereignty is action and we are ready to act and defend it.”
Last month, the Argentine military released footage of the extent of PRC-linked vessel operations near the marine boundary which separates the country’s exclusive economic zone from less regulated waters. The published images display the military conducting patrols of its coastlines via the air and sea. Two turboprop aircraft, a C-12 Huron and a P-3C Orion, along with a pair of corvettes, are often deployed to carry out such surveillance. In one of the images published, a P-3C carrying Defense Minister Luis Alfonso Petri and other military officials indicate just how seriously Buenos Aires is taking the over-exploitation of its local fish.
How Argentina Counters Illegal Activity on Its Coastline
The U.S.-made Beechcraft C-12 Huron, designed initially to be used as a liaison and for general personnel transport in the 1970s, is operated by the Argentine Navy in its maritime surveillance missions. The Lockheed Martin-designed P-3 Orion turboprop aircraft was also deployed in Argentina’s recent maritime pursuits. The anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft has been exported widely across the globe with the Argentine Navy operating six of these aircraft.
Chinese Vessels and Illegal Fishing Near Argentina
As explained by the nongovernmental organization Global Fishing Watch and other sources, thousands of deep-water fishing boats operate under the Chinese flag globally. Some of these vessels loiter at the edge of Argentine’s exclusive economic zone legally, before switching off their automatic identification system (AIS) transponders so that they can cross the threshold undetected. In its February mission to counter these vessels, the Argentine military discovered a total of 380 boats operating illegally. CNN followed up on these reports with its only examination and discovered nearly 200 vessels operating in Argentina’s EEZ. According to the news outlet, more than 80 percent of these boats were sailing under the Chinese flag.
In 2024, the U.S. Coast Guard began conducting joint exercises with the Argentine Navy aimed to deter illegal Chinese fishing in the Atlantic Ocean. Previously, the United States had enhanced cooperation with Ecuador, Peru, and Chile as part of the global effort to strengthen its maritime security partnerships.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
