Malvinas: Argentine warship 'harasses' fishing vessel, reports say

An Argentine warship has been allegedly hailing fishing vessels in the Malvinas Islands zone claiming they are fishing illegally, the Islands’ newspaper Penguin News reported today.

On Thursday August 30, the article says, Falklands Protection Vessel Protegat was on routine fishery protection duties in the northern Falklands (Malvinas) Outer Conservation Zone (FOCZ) when an Argentine vessel told the fishing vessel staff that the fishing was illegal.

“At around 2030 a vessel in the Argentine zone and identifying itself as an Argentine warship started calling fishing vessels operating in the FOCZ,” the article read.

“The Argentine warship went on to claim that the fishing vessels were fishing illegally and should haul their gear and leave the area,” the paper reported.

According to the newspaper article, none of the fishing vessels responded to the radio communication and the Argentine vessel did not enter the the conservation area.