South Africa seizes four Chinese fishing vessels in Its waters
## Seizure of Unauthorized Chinese Fishing Vessels in South African Waters
Seizure of Unauthorized Chinese Fishing Vessels in South African Waters
On February 23, four Chinese fishing vessels owned by Shenzhen Shuiwan Pelagic Fisheries entered South Africa's Exclusive Economic Zone without authorization. These vessels requested "innocent passage" and stated their intention to exit South African waters by March 3. However, they later sought permission to navigate outside port limits without the necessary documentation.
During their stay, the vessels intermittently disabled their Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders while inside South African territorial waters. They were detected less than 12 nautical miles from the KwaZulu-Natal coast and were subsequently tracked moving south along the Eastern Cape coastline.
The vessels were intercepted and placed under supervision in Cape Town. They were fined 400,000 rand (approximately $24,000), which was promptly paid. Following this, the vessels were released and have since exited South African waters.
On February 23, four Chinese fishing vessels owned by Shenzhen Shuiwan Pelagic Fisheries entered South Africa's Exclusive Economic Zone without authorization.
Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Willie Aucamp emphasized that South Africa will not tolerate unauthorized use of its maritime zones.
Based on reporting by Africanews.
