The Milei government sanctioned a foreign vessel for illegally fishing in the Argentine Sea

The Government of Javier Milei sanctioned a Spanish-flagged vessel for engaging in fishing activities without authorization in waters of the Atlantic under Argentina's jurisdiction, as part of the controls aimed at combating illegal fishing and protecting national marine resources.

The Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries reported this Friday that the sanctioned fishing vessel is the Farruco, flying the Spanish flag, which was fined 1.844 billion pesos, equivalent to about 1.2 million dollars.

According to Argentine authorities, the vessel was sanctioned for conducting fishing operations without authorization within the Argentine Exclusive Economic Zone (ZEEA), in the Atlantic.

The sanction adds to the measures taken this year against foreign vessels that were detected engaging in illegal fishing activities in waters under Argentine jurisdiction. According to the official statement, the Farruco is the fifth foreign-flagged vessel sanctioned for illegal fishing so far in 2026.

The Secretariat also highlighted the role of surveillance mechanisms used to detect such operations and subsequently proceed with the corresponding economic sanctions.

“Both in this procedure and in previous actions, the presence of the Argentine Naval Prefecture and electronic detection technology is emphasized, to effectively apply economic sanctions”, stated Argentine authorities.

The Milei Government emphasized the combination of controls carried out by the Argentine Naval Prefecture and detection technology tools as central elements to identify illegal activities of foreign vessels within Argentine maritime territory.

The measure against the Farruco is part of a specific policy regarding unauthorized fishing operations.

In this regard, Argentine authorities affirmed that “these measures are part of the zero tolerance policy against illegal fishing, reaffirming the Argentine State's commitment to defending sovereignty over marine resources and protecting the national fishery”.

The heavy economic sanction imposed on the Spanish vessel thus constitutes a new action by the Milei Government against foreign vessels engaging in illegal fishing activities within the Argentine Exclusive Economic Zone.