The Chinese squid jigger who 'escaped', will anchor today in Puerto Madryn

ARGENTINA
Wednesday, May 13, 2020, 05:10 (GMT + 9)

The Lu Rong Yuan Yu 668 that was detected on April 28 fishing illegally within the ZEEA, and in a confusing incident, it was said that he fled, now he is heading to the Golfo Nuevo It will be made available to the Rawson Federal Court to avoid an international arrest warrant.

On Tuesday, he arrived at the port of Puerto Madryn of the Chinese jigger Lu Rong Yuan Yu 668 to make himself available to the Rawson Federal Court and the Nation's Undersecretary of Fisheries.

The Chinese shipowner company would be willing to pay the administrative fine for violating the Federal Fisheries Regime, which has a maximum of 10 million pesos, but if it acquiesces to the process, it even has the benefit of a 25% deduction.

 YouTube video: PNA's pursuit of Chinese jigger LU RONG YUAN YU 668

In addition, regarding the raw material that is detected in the hold, they will have the option of buying it or having it seized. Although there is a high probability that the illegal jigger has transshipped its merchandise in international waters and loaded the squid that it caught in Argentine waters on another vessel, a common practice in this fleet.

The shifting strategy of the shipowner's main objective is to prevent the Argentine Federal Justice from launching an international capture, which could mean that it is held at any port where it will dock soon.

The data was confirmed to Revista Puerto by the Puerto Madryn lawyer Roberto Wyn Hughes, currently based in Buenos Aires, whose law firm was hired by the Chinese company. The Argentine lawyers recommended to the company whose ship violated the ZEEA that it submit to the law and within that framework it was ruled that the ship in question put bow towards Puerto Madryn, anticipating its arrival at bay in the early morning or mid-morning of this Tuesday.

The federal judge of First Instance No. 2 of the city of Rawson, Dr. Gustavo Lleral, determined that the Chinese fishing vessel does not take moorings in any of the docks of Madryn, but remains in rada and is approached there by members of the Naval Prefecture Argentina, who will take a declaration to the captain of the boat, and on the other hand, the actions for the violation of the Federal Fishing Regime, Law 24.922.

The criminal action is for "resistance to authority" and is not directed at the Chinese company, but like all criminal proceedings, it is personal, and in this case it is against the ship's captain, while the economic fine does lie with the company, but based on current Argentine legislation it would not exceed 10 million pesos, a derisory figure at the current exchange rate.

Hughes said the shipowner contacted the CABA-based law firm after the April 28 incident. "At first we had the version that the ship had been captured, then the Prefecture (Coast Guard) clarified that it was only a pursuit, and the company adduces us that due to a storm they moved away to international waters. But once they contacted our study, we warned them that a case was initiated for resistance to authority that opens when there is a leak and, on the other hand, a summary is made for the fine that may correspond, "said the lawyer.

"In the federal jurisdiction, it is a personal case against the captain who disobeyed the orders of the Prefecture. Our recommendation is that they take the law and thus avoid an international capture of Interpol, "he described.

Roberto Hughes maintained that after a few days, the company informed them that they would be placed at the disposal of the Argentine justice. “They are now going to the Puerto Madryn roadstead. And in the framework of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Rawson court, with good judgment, ordered that it not enter the dock, but be approached in a rush to do all the actions. ”

They estimate that within a period not exceeding 72 hours, the offending fishing vessel could already return to international waters, and would be escorted by a PNA coast guard in its transit until it leaves the 200 miles.

Asked about the composition of the Chinese company, Hughes confirmed that these types of companies have state participation. "When they give us the power, the one that does it is the proprietary firm, which in this case is a company per ship, it is not a company that has several ships, although there are several with similar names, but I know that the Chinese regime implies that there is a state participation in these companies ”, he stated. "In that regard they are very reserved to give details," he admitted.

The representative of the owner of the Lu Rong Yuan Yu 668 also explained that "based on the inspection and reports made by the Prefecture, they check the warehouses, detail the positions in which the boat fished, and that goes to Pesca Nación that carves a summary.

Plus what is determined from the value of the catch they find on board, an amount is set, and there the company can choose to buy that merchandise or disembark it, ”he explained about the usual procedure for these cases.

Autor: Nelson Saldivia / Revista Puerto 

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