South African authorities have intercepted and fined four Chinese distant-water fishing vessels that were suspected of engaging in illegal fishing. The boats entered South African waters without permits and repeatedly switched their automatic identification system (AIS) on and off.
The four Chinese-flagged fishing vessels, Zhong Yang 231, Zhong Yang 232, Zhong Yang 233, and Zhong Yang 239, are said to have entered the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and territorial waters without the required authorization. The vessels are owned by Chinese company Shenzhen Shuiwan Pelagic Fisheries Co.
Officers from South Africa’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment working with the police carried out a coordinated operation that led to the interception of the vessels. They were detained at the Port of Cape Town anchorage.
According to the government, the four vessels initially requested permission on February 23 to pass through South Africa’s EEZ under “innocent passage,” indicating they would exit by March 3. However, on February 27, the South African Maritime Safety Authority reported that the vessels had also applied for off-port limits (OPL) authorization without the required justification or documentation. The request was rejected.
Further investigations revealed that the vessels had already entered the country’s territorial waters while the OPL request was under consideration. The boats were detected within 12 nautical miles of the KwaZulu-Natal coast and later tracked along the Eastern Cape coastline.
Authorities said that during this time, the vessels repeatedly switched AIS on and off. That is a violation of regulations requiring foreign vessels to keep their AIS active while transiting national waters.
Investigations into the conducts of the vessels prompted authorities to charge the masters of the vessels for non-compliance with the Marine Living Resources Act 18 of 1998. The masters were fined an administrative penalty of $24,118, which the owner of the vessels paid, leading to the release of the vessels and subsequent departure from the country.
“South Africa will not tolerate the unlawful use of its maritime zones,” said Willie Aucamp, Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. “We remain resolute in safeguarding our marine resources and ensuring that our ports are not perceived as ports of convenience. Compliance with our laws is non-negotiable.”
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South Africa, which has a vast coastline measuring 3,000-kilometres, is among African countries that are grappling with the challenge of declining fish stocks due to illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, a problem being exacerbated by Chinese long distant fishing fleets.
The World Wildlife Fund contends that South Africa alongside Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, and Tanzania lose up to $142.8 million annually due to illegal fishing of shrimp and tuna.
