The Federal Fisheries Council authorized fishing permits to companies with proven records of illegal fishing within the Argentine Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), contradicting the provisions of the Federal Fisheries Law (Law 24.922).
The report “The Univpesca Case: Why We Need a Public Registry of Vessels and Fishing Permits”, prepared by the Environmental Policy Circle (CPA) and Sin Azul No Hay Verde, reveals how the company Univpesca, a subsidiary of the Chinese state corporation China National Fisheries Corporation (CNFC) —whose vessels were sanctioned on several occasions for illegal fishing— received permits and subsequently obtained authorization to transfer them to other companies within the same group.
Violation of the regulations
Article 27 bis of the Federal Fisheries Law prohibits granting permits to shipowners involved in illegal fishing or with legal, economic, or beneficial ties to those who practice it. However, the Univpesca case shows:
- Regulatory framework relaxation: a company rejected in 2006 for links to illegal fishing accessed permits in 2013 in violation of the law.
- Questionable transfers: in 2016, the Federal Fisheries Council authorized the transfer of permits to COFC, whose vessels Zhou Yu 9 and Zhou Yu 10 have a history of unregulated fishing at the edge of mile 201.
- Active permits: despite the regulations requiring their automatic expiration, the permits remain active.
Lack of public information
The report warns about the absence of a comprehensive public registry that consolidates data on vessels, shipowners, granted permits, and sanction records. The dispersion of information among different agencies and the lack of open access hinder social control and accountability.
“These decisions violate the provisions of the law and reveal failures in background checks and in the identification of corporate relationships,” said Milko Schvartzman, Oceans Coordinator at CPA.
Organizations’ demand
The entities propose the creation of a Public Registry of Vessels and Fishing Permits, accessible online and updated, to allow:
- Improving transparency and accountability.
- Preventing companies with illegal fishing records from accessing the fishing grounds.
- Facilitating social monitoring.
- Strengthening the sustainability of the fishing resource.
“Without transparency, the same mistakes can be repeated. The Univpesca case evidences a direct contradiction with article 27 bis and shows that the lack of access to public information allows administrative decisions to violate the law,” stated Consuelo Bilbao, Political Director of CPA.
Regional comparison
According to Juan Coustet, Research Coordinator at Sin Azul No Hay Verde, Argentina lags behind other countries in the region:
- There is no centralized and updated public registry of the fishing fleet.
- Official information is scattered among agencies and is not always open or accessible.
- This hinders effective control of fleets and their activity, weakening oversight capacity and public trust.
The Univpesca case exposes a contradiction between current regulations and the administrative decisions of the Federal Fisheries Council. The lack of transparency and a comprehensive public registry allows companies linked to illegal fishing to access permits, undermining the sustainable management of marine resources.
The creation of an open and accessible system emerges as an urgent measure to ensure legality, sustainability, and trust in Argentine fisheries policy.
