Photo: Parte de Pesca/FIS

Chubut Province Offers Services to China's Unregulated Fishing Fleet

ARGENTINA
Monday, December 02, 2024, 08:00 (GMT + 9)

The Chubut government offered the IUU (Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated) fishing fleet of China supplies in the ports of the province, according to what was revealed after a meeting between Governor Ignacio Torres and the extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador of the People's Republic of China in Argentina, Wang Wei, held last Thursday in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (CABA). This was reported by Nelson Saldivia in Parte de Pesca.

"Today we are faced with the possibility of having a safe corridor and being able to sign agreements for access to fuel, food and maintenance services for those boats that fish squid," Torres said in an official statement issued by the Chubut government.

The governor also highlighted the importance of strengthening strategic ties with China “We consider a strategic partnership with China to be extremely important, with the aim of continuing to strengthen the industries that are developed locally based on the resources that Chubut has, such as fishing resources,", he said.

Unofficial Denials and Official Silence

However, hours after the statement was released, off-the-record denials were made by members of Torres' cabinet. According to highly credible sources consulted by Parte de Pesca, these attempts were intended to reassure the Argentine squid fishing sector, claiming that the president's statements had been misinterpreted.

At the time of this edition's closing, the Chubut government had not made public clarifications or officially denied the content of the initial statement, generating uncertainty and concern in a sector that makes multimillion-dollar investments in Argentina.

The informal denials, coming from officials without ministerial rank, have been described as lukewarm and have caused unrest and discredit, according to the sources.

FAO and the Fight Against IUU Fishing

IUU fishing is a global problem that seriously affects marine ecosystems and the sustainability of resources. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has implemented programs to combat this practice, pointing out that it takes advantage of corruption and weaknesses in fisheries management regimes, especially in developing countries that lack the resources to implement effective controls.

FAO Main Fishing Zones | Area 41 South-West Atlantic. FAO 41, which includes Argentina's EEZ, is one of only two areas in the world that remains unregulated.

“IUU fishing takes advantage of corruption in administrations and exploits deficiencies in management regimes, especially in developing countries that lack the capacity and resources necessary to implement effective monitoring, control and surveillance initiatives,”, underlines a recent FAO report.

With an ironic tone, Nelson Saldivia concludes his note: “Any resemblance to reality is pure coincidence.”

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