Argentina has become the country that has made the most progress in the fight against illegal fishing worldwide, thanks to an ambitious modernization process led by the government of Javier Milei. The complete elimination of illegal fishing activities in the Argentine Sea constitutes a historic milestone that positions the Argentine Republic as an international model in maritime surveillance, protection of natural resources, and sovereignty over its waters.
According to the most recent report from the Strategic Observatory of Maritime Resources (OERM) of the Latin American Foundation for Fisheries Sustainability (FULASP), so far in 2025, a total of 301 fishing vessels have been identified and monitored operating near the 201st mile, a critical area of the South Atlantic. This detection capability was made possible by the comprehensive modernization of the Coast Guard System, which now features satellite technology with synthetic aperture radars (SAR), increasing operational efficiency by 65% and reducing image analysis times from 45 to just 10 minutes, without incurring additional costs for the State.
These advances have made it possible, for the first time in history, to exercise effective control over the entire 200th mile, a key area for the protection of national fishery resources. This is evidenced by the "Mare Nostrum I, II, and III" operations, carried out between February and April, which not only served to identify illegal behaviors but also to apply the first electronic fine to a foreign vessel, the Xin Run 579, a Chinese-flagged ship.
