Juan Benegas, Pesantar Operations Manager. (Photo: Ochentamundosonline)

Punishment to Japanese company for fishing in Falklands evaluated

ARGENTINA
Tuesday, January 06, 2015, 01:20 (GMT + 9)

Ministries of Foreign Affairs, and Agriculture and Fisheries evaluate a complaint filed in recent days by Empresa Pesquera de la Patagonia y Antartida S.A. (Pesantar) Operations Manager, who warned that the vessel Union Sur fished in Falkland Islands last November.

According to the denouncer, Juan Benegas, said ship, belonging to the firm Empresa de Desarrollo Pesquero de Chile S.A. (Emdepes), operated in those waters after sealing an agreement with Nissui Japanese group.

According to newspaper La Nacion, this ship would have obtained a fishing license from the British government to operate in the Falklands last year, but in parallel, the Chilean company is associated with Pesantar fishery, which has licenses to fish in Argentine waters.

After meeting with the Secretary for Falkland Islands Matters, Daniel Filmus, Benegas confirmed having made a presentation to the National Undersecretariat of Fisheries, in which he reported on his serious suspicions about a possible link between Nissui and the mentioned vessel.

"I have just got out of a meeting with Filmus, who called me to say he was informed of the presentation I made to the Undersecretariat of Fisheries and that satisfied me, because he said they were already working together to clarify the situation," told the businessman to Mar&Pesca.

"As a citizen I provided all the information I had, and now it's up to the Foreign Ministry and the Undersecretariat of Fisheries to verify by all legal and technical means, if Pesantar and the Chilean company Emdepes, the owner of vessel Union Sur, belong to the same economic group (Nissui) and if that boat really fished in the Falklands", he continued.

"First and foremost I´m Argentinean and I take very high that pride", said Benegas to Mar&Pesca when asked about the complaint.

Despite the claim, he made it clear that he is still linked to the company, since he is on holiday and has not received any dismissal telegram.

If the veracity of information was proved, the Japanese group would have violated the Federal Fisheries Act, which prohibits companies to operate in Argentina and Falkland Islands in parallel.

By Analia Murias
[email protected]
www.seafood.media

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