South Africa Intercepts Chinese Fishing Fleet Over Illegal Entry Into National Waters

BY UCHECHI OKPORIE

South African authorities have intercepted four Chinese-flagged fishing vessels accused of entering the country’s territorial waters without permission, in a move officials say underscores their commitment to protecting marine resources.

According to the government, the vessels owned by Shenzhen Shuiwan Pelagic Fisheries—were detected after crossing into South Africa’s maritime zone and were later placed under guard by police and fisheries control officers at the Port of Cape Town.

Officials charged the captains of the ships and imposed an administrative fine of 400,000 rand (about $24,000). After the penalty was paid by the vessel owner, the ships were released and departed South African waters.

The vessels had initially requested permission on February 23 to pass through South Africa’s Exclusive Economic Zone under the right of “innocent passage.” However, authorities rejected a later request for off-port limits authorization because the ships failed to provide proper documentation.

Investigations revealed that the vessels had already entered South African territorial waters while their request was still under review. They were first detected within 12 nautical miles of the KwaZulu-Natal coast and later tracked along the Eastern Cape coastline.

Officials also said the ships repeatedly switched their Automatic Identification System (AIS) on and off—an action that violates South African maritime regulations requiring foreign vessels to keep tracking systems active while navigating national waters.

South Africa’s Forestry, Fisheries and Environment Minister warned that the country would “not tolerate the unlawful use of its maritime zones,” emphasizing stricter enforcement to safeguard its ocean resources.