South African authorities intercepted four Chinese-flagged fishing vessels after they entered the country’s territorial waters without proper authorisation. The ships, owned by Shenzhen Shuiwan Pelagic Fisheries, were held under guard at the Port of Cape Town.
The captains were formally charged, and an administrative fine of R400,000 was imposed, which the company paid before the vessels were allowed to leave. Minister Willie Aucamp stressed that South Africa will not tolerate illegal use of its maritime zones.
The vessels had initially requested permission to transit South Africa’s Exclusive Economic Zone on February 23, but later applied for Off-Port Limits authorisation without providing required documents. Investigation showed the ships entered territorial waters before approval was granted.
Authorities also reported that the vessels repeatedly turned off their Automatic Identification System, violating regulations that require foreign ships to maintain tracking while in national waters. The incident underscores South Africa’s commitment to securing its maritime zones.
