Zone blamed for attack

Press, 31 May 1986, Page 10

Zone blamed for attack

NZPA-Reuter Buenos Aires Argentina has blamed the master of a Taiwanese trawler for the Naval Prefecture (coast guard) attack on his ship and said such incidents were caused by Britain’s exclusion zone around the disputed Falkland Islands. The Foreign Ministry said a Prefecture patrol ship had used internationally recognised police powers in pursuing and shooting at two Taiwanese trawlers, which fled towards the exclusion zone after being caught illegally fishing in Argentinian waters. It said Raul Alfonsin’s Government regretted the loss of life that resulted from the crippling of one trawler, which was left adrift after 21 crewmen were rescued. It said one crewman had died and one was still missing.

“This unfortunate incident is a direct result of the irresponsible conduct of the captain of the foreign vessel, who repeatedly refused to follow the orders given by the Argentine authority,” the Ministry said.

Similar incidents could be avoided if foreign vessels would respect Argentinian jurisdiction and laws, it said. The 150-mile exclusion zone around the islands was at the root of this and other episodes, it said.

The exclusion zone provided shelter for vast foreign fishing fleets, which had endangered the region’s fishing through “indiscriminate and irrational” hauls.

“This circumstance has obliged us to significantly intensify vigilance and patrolling of the area,” it said.

Britain set up the exclusion zone around the islands after the South Atlantic conflict in 1982.

During the incident on Thursday one of the Taiwanese trawlers escaped back into the exclusion zone despite warningshots from the Argentinian ship, the Prefecto Derbes. The other was hit by non-explosive “projectiles” after a prolonged chase, the Foreign Ministry said.

The trawler’s crew abandoned ship after their boat was adrift and in flames, it said. None of the crewmen had bullet wounds and the one who died apparently had suffered a heart attack.

The 21 surviving crewmen were picked up by the Derbes and arrived yesterday at Puerto Deseado, 2140 km south of Buenos Aires, where five were taken to a hospital.

The Prefecture detachment in Puerto Deseado said most of the Injured crewmen had suffered burns.