Argentina’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned today that British-flagged fishing vessels operating “illegally in the surrounding waters” south georgia islands, with an invalid license issued by the United Kingdom and outside the multilateral framework” that governs activities in the region. According to a statement issued by the San Martín Palace, “fishing in these waters has been regulated since 1982 by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (Ccrrvma), a multilateral organization consisting of 26 member states, including Argentina and the United Kingdom”.

“For this season, it was not possible to adopt a measure that would allow the capture of the Patagonian species of fish in Georgia. British fishing therefore violates the Ccrvma regime which for 40 years managed to prevent overfishing and the collapse of Antarctic marine ecosystems,” the document details.

Argentina “unequivocally rejects, bilaterally and multilaterally, unilateral actions by the UK, which constitute a serious violation of the norms of the Antarctic Treaty System”.

“Faced with this illegal situation, Argentina has taken decisive action in defense of the multilateral regime and defended its national position on the Malvinas Question,” the Foreign Ministry added.

He argued that the country “recently reaffirmed its position at the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting, the main Antarctic forum meeting this year in Berlin.”

Argentina also urges all CCAMLR Members to avoid marketing these illegal fishing products.

“Instead, the Ccrvma Executive Secretariat was asked to include these UK-flagged vessels on the list of vessels engaged in illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which requires the support of other Members in the process”, it pointed out.

Lastly, “Argentina reiterates its rejection of UK unilateral actions, to the extent that such actions violate the Crvma regime and are inconsistent with the principles of Antarctic cooperation and good faith that characterize the Antarctic Treaty System. Likewise, Argentina demands an immediate cessation of this illegal fishing.”