Coast guard should have chased, expelled boat instead of sinking it: expert
China demanded Wednesday that Argentina thoroughly investigate the sinking of a Chinese fishing boat by the Argentinian coast guard over alleged "illegal fishing."
The Chinese foreign ministry has refrained from calling the boat "illegal" and instead said the fishing vessel was operating in Argentinian fishing grounds before being chased by that country's coast guard.
"The foreign ministry and the Chinese Embassy in Argentina have lodged urgent representations with Argentina, expressing serious concerns and demanding that Argentina conduct a thorough investigation, and inform China of the details," Lu Kang, spokesperson of foreign ministry, told a press conference.
Lu noted that Argentina should "ensure the safety and legitimate rights and interests of the Chinese crew, and take effective measures to avoid any repetition of such an incident."
According to AFP, Argentinian forces opened fire on and sank a Chinese boat illegally fishing in the South Atlantic after it attempted to ram a coast guard vessel.
However, Lu said the Chinese fishing vessel Lu Yan Yuan Yu 010, while operating in Argentine fishing grounds, was chased by Argentina's coast guard for several hours before firing at the boat, which caused a leak in the hull and led to its sinking.
Four Chinese crew members were rescued by Argentine coast guard ships. The other 28 were rescued by Chinese fishing boats nearby. There were no reports of casualties.
"As a law enforcement force, Argentina's coast guard should aim at chasing and expelling the fishing boat instead of sinking it," Liu Dan, Associate Researcher of the Center for Polar and Deep Ocean Development of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, told the Global Times.
Argentina's reaction shows that its coast guard intended to sink the boat, which led to serious consequences and threatened the safety of the Chinese crew, Liu said.
Liu said he suggests that China's Foreign Ministry provides consular protection and legal aid to the fishermen.
According to the Yearbook of Fishery Statistics of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, China was the largest fishing country in terms of capture production from 2004 to 2013.
"In the future, China should think about developing insurance services for distant fishing and better educate those involved in this field, which will regulate the behavior of Chinese fishermen as well protect their legal rights," Liu told the Global Times.
In May 2015, Indonesia blew up a Chinese fishing boat in Indonesian water, citing reasons of illegal fishing. In May 2014, Philippine police captured 11 Chinese fishermen aboard the boat Qiongqionghai 09063 near the Half Moon Shoal, claiming that they had been poaching sea turtles. In July 2012, the Russian coast guard seized a Chinese fishing boat and detained its crew after firing at the vessel.
