Undersecretary of Fisheries of the Nation, Miguel Bustamante. (Photo Credit: Revista Puerto)

Nissui: Deadline confirmed by Undersecretary of Fisheries expires tomorrow

ARGENTINA
Wednesday, October 14, 2015, 21:30 (GMT + 9)

In an interview to Revista Puerto of Argentina (RP) on 1 October, Undersecretary of Fisheries of the Nation, Miguel Bustamante, spoke about the most outstanding issues in the fishing industry in that country. He also expressed his views on the degree of progress in the file opened on Nissui and Pesantar case, which belongs to Newsan at present, for illegal fishing in the Falklands.

During the interview he specifically mentioned Nissui-Pesantar issue as follows:

RP: In which phase is the case against the companies Pesantar and Nissui for fishing in the Falklands?

MB: The file entered the Legal Department on Friday, where it will be decided which is the relevant authority, whether the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries or the Federal Fisheries Council. Besides, the kind of punishment will be decided: a cash fine of two million dollars to Nissui or the loss of the fishing license and the quota of the ship Echizen Maru.

RP: What is the deadline for the Legal Department to offer a definition?

MB: It should not take more than 15 days, as established by the administrative process.

It must also be recalled that on 16 September, Undersecretary Bustamante was interviewed in Moscow by the British source UnderCurrentsNews and he was also very specific about the issue when he confirmed to this source: "If Nissui is found guilty of illegal fishing in the Falklands, Argentina's government will fine the company USD 2 million but if charges are brought against Pesquera Pesantar shareholders, including Argentine seafood exporter Newsan, then fishing quotas and licenses will be lost.”

In his statement, Bustamante added that Nissui had thought it could operate in the Falklands, since the sale of its Argentina's operation to Newsan was already agreed when the alleged illegal fishing took place by the end of 2014.

Two days after this article, the manager of the Food Division of Newsan, Miguel Glikman, commented in a threatening way to the source Mar&Pesca of Argentina: "... if the Undersecretariat of Fisheries [sic] decides to act against Pesantar by taking away the fishing license, the company would be forced to close its doors leaving more than a hundred workers jobless."

Some stakeholers are therefore waiting for the Undersecretary of Fisheries Miguel Bustamante to make an official announcement in the next few hours to define this issue as it has been announced. Still others question whether all the administrative and legal process, carried out by the government, has not been part of a political strategy to put off the issue after the elections and push the problem in the hands of the next administration.

The true facts will soon be known.
 

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