BRITAIN risks a confrontation with Argentina in the South Atlantic this
week after launching a new effort to halt pirate fishing around South Georgia.
As the new toothfish fishing season opened off the dependent territory on 1
March, Britain called in naval vessels for the first time to prevent a
repetition of last year鈥檚 free-for-all, which threatened to destroy stocks of
toothfish.
New 杏吧原创 revealed in January that British officials had told
signatories to the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living
Resources that 鈥渃atches from illegal fishing now exceed those taken
legitimately鈥�. They reported that several Argentinian vessels had been sighted
apparently fishing out of season.
The Foreign Office confirmed this week that naval vessels based at South
Georgia were being 鈥渁 bit more active鈥� in supporting the single government
patrol vessel. But, with reports that two Argentinian vessels were halted off
South Georgia last weekend, Argentina鈥檚 foreign minister Guido Di Tella warned
that President Carlos Menem might call off a visit to London in protest.
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