The P-3 propellor plane banks sharply, silhouetted against dozens of shimmering lights in the sea against an Argentine sunset. As the camera pans across the scene, it becomes clear: the glaring lights come from dozens of fishing vessels dotting the ocean below. <\/p>\n
The footage, shared by the Argentine military in late February, shows the overwhelming scale of a flotilla near a marine boundary which separates the country\u2019s more restrictive exclusive economic zone from less-regulated international waters. <\/p>\n
This area, about 200 nautical miles off the coast of southern Argentina, is notorious for illegal and unregulated fishing \u2014 often carried out by Chinese vessels, according to the Argentine Navy. <\/p>\n
Most of these ships hunt for squid, which are abundant along the Argentine coast and a vital food source in the marine ecosystem. <\/p>\n
The Argentine military is now ramping up efforts to combat these fishing operations in a region experts warn is on the brink of environmental collapse. <\/p>\n
The military\u2019s footage shows an advanced P-3C \u201cOrion\u201d surveillance plane \u2014 designed for anti-submarine and maritime surveillance \u2014 approaching the fishing fleet. The aircraft took part in the Argentine military operation in January alongside a smaller C-12 surveillance plane and two corvette warships, according to the Argentine navy. <\/p>\n
This surveillance mission was conducted to address ongoing concerns that the fishing vessels may cross into the country\u2019s more restricted EEZ, according to a spokesperson for Defense Minister Luis Petri. <\/p>\n
The mission identified a total of 380 fishing vessels just outside Argentina\u2019s EEZ, many of which sailed from Asia to richer waters, the military says. <\/p>\n
Since September, the Argentine Navy has acquired multiple planes designed for maritime surveillance, which Petri said will help \u201ccontrol and monitor\u201d the country\u2019s coastline \u201cin light of the enormous challenge we face with the possible intrusion of fishing vessels into our Exclusive Economic Zone.\u201d <\/p>\n
Petri described the existential threat earlier this year, arguing that \u201cthe (natural) resources of all Argentines are at stake.\u201d <\/p>\n
The cluster of ships, stretching approximately 150 miles from north to south, raised concerns over illicit fishing. At night, many of these fishing vessels turn on bright lights to lure squid to the surface, where they are harvested using a large net. The lights are so strong that they can be seen from space. <\/p>\n
Argentina\u2019s Navy has noted a pattern of foreign fishing vessels turning off their tracking systems to avoid detection when illegally fishing inside the exclusive economic zone \u2014 an area where Argentina maintains sovereign rights to its natural resources, according to international law. <\/p>\n
Historical ship tracking data corroborates the pattern and reveals these abundant waters off Argentina\u2019s coast as a hotspot for lapsed vessel beacons. <\/p>\n
Seven of the identified vessels \u2014 all sailing under China\u2019s flag \u2014 were operating under US sanctions, according to a Treasury Department database. <\/p>\n
These ships are linked to Fujian Provincial Pingtan County Ocean Fishing Group Co., Ltd., a Chinese fishing company which was sanctioned by the US in 2022 for its involvement in \u201cserious human rights abuses\u201d and illegal fishing, including operations in the protected waters of the Galapagos Islands and the transport of more than 6,600 shark carcasses, according to a US Treasury Department press release. <\/p>\n
The company also received a $19 million subsidy from China\u2019s government as an incentive to develop its deep-water fishing capabilities, according to the statement. <\/p>\n
The US Treasury Department press release detailed reports of forced labor, physical abuse, and extreme isolation among crew members. In one case, a Pingtan crew member who tried to leave a vessel after learning of unpaid wages was allegedly denied permission and deprived of food for three days, according to the statement. <\/p>\n
It added that China has \u201cactively participated in the formulation of international rules related to fishery subsidies\u201d and has made \u201ccontributions to the conservation and sustainable use of fishery resources and the maintenance of a fair and reasonable international maritime order.\u201d <\/p>\n
Pingtan Fishing Group stated that it \u201chas endeavored to ensure that its fishing methods are in compliance with international standards and the laws and regulations of the operating waters\u201d in a letter responding to the Treasury Department\u2019s 2022 sanctions. <\/p>\n
Satellite imagery obtained from Planet Labs and captured in the area surveilled by the Argentine military offers a glimpse into this fleet. <\/p>\n
In one case, a former crewmember on one squid fishing vessel, Ning Tai 52, accused its parent company Zhoushan Ningtai Ocean Fisheries of employing forced labor practices, according to a 2021 Greenpeace report. <\/p>\n
In response to the allegation in Greenpeace\u2019s report, Zhoushan Fisheries said they were \u201cperplexed to be receiving this kind of complaint\u2026 we assure you that no such thing as forced labor has occurred.\u201d <\/p>\n