South Africa has seized and fined four Chinese fishing vessels for illegally entering its exclusive economic zone, authorities confirmed on Thursday.
The vessels, operated by Shenzhen Shuiwan Pelagic Fisheries, were intercepted and placed under guard in Cape Town, according to Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Minister Willie Aucamp.
The ships had initially requested “innocent passage” on February 23, promising to exit South African waters by March 3. However, they later attempted to obtain off-port limits authorization without submitting the required documentation. During this period, they repeatedly switched off their automatic identification system (AIS) transponders while inside South Africa’s territorial waters.
Authorities tracked the vessels within 12 nautical miles of the KwaZulu-Natal coast before monitoring them along the Eastern Cape shoreline.
“South Africa will not tolerate the unlawful use of its maritime zones,” Aucamp said.
The ships were fined 400,000 rands (approximately $24,000), paid immediately, and subsequently released. They have now left South African waters.
