(Photo for illustration: Facebook)
Four Chinese fishing vessels that entered South African territorial waters without the necessary authorization were intercepted by a tactical police team from South Africa and the Department of Environmental Affairs.
Willie Aucamp, the minister of forestry, fisheries and the environment, welcomed the police’s actions. The ships were in South Africa’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
“South Africa will not tolerate the illegal use of its maritime zones. We remain determined to protect our marine resources and ensure that our ports are not viewed as ports of convenience. Compliance with our laws is non-negotiable.”
the vessels, Zhong Yang 231, Zhong Yang 232, Zhong Yang 233 in Zhong Yang 239was held by the tactical team and fisheries control officers at the Cape Town harbor anchorage while compliance processes between the Department of Environment and the owner of the vessel, Shenzhen Suiwan Pelagic Fisheries, were completed.
The ships initially needed permission to sail through South Africa’s EEZ on 23 February and indicated they would leave the area on 3 March. On February 27, the South African Maritime Safety Authority reported that the ships also applied without the necessary justification or documentation for authorization to sail outside a port ꟷ a request that was rejected.
Further investigation by the Department of Environmental Affairs showed the ships had already entered South African waters while the request was still being considered. They were spotted within 12 nautical miles of the KwaZulu-Natal coast and were later tracked along the Eastern Cape coastline.
During this period, the ships switched their automatic identification system on and off. “This is a breach of South African regulations, which require foreign ships to keep the system switched on while moving through South African territorial waters. It is a critical safety system used to ensure navigational awareness and prevent collisions at sea,” says Aucamp.
Based on the available evidence, there were reasonable grounds to suspect non-compliance with the Marine Resources Act.
Aucamp says the captains of the ships have been charged and an administrative fine of R400 000 has been imposed. After the owner of the vessels paid the fine, the ships were let go and left South African waters.
Aucamp says South Africa is protecting its marine resources and strengthening international cooperation in combating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.