Three detained Chinese vessels entered S. African waters due to bad weather: embassy

Three Chinese fishing vessels were on their way back from legal fishing in the high sea of Southwest Atlantic Ocean when they had to enter South African waters due to bad weather, the Chinese Embassy in Pretoria said on Tuesday.

"We have noticed the recent detainment of three Chinese fishing vessels by South African authorities in waters near East London, which caused some international and local attention," an embassy spokesman said in a statement.

This came after the South African Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said on Monday that law enforcement agencies had detained three Chinese fishing vessels for entering the South African Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) without permission, a move that created suspicion.

The Chinese Embassy spokesperson said the Chinese agricultural authorities had previously issued Licenses for Fishing on the High Seas and other valid documents to all the three vessels.

After the incident, the Chinese Embassy in Pretoria and the Consulate General in Cape Town have been actively communicating with the South African authorities, and have offered, along with the local Chinese community, timely assistance to the vessels and their crew, according to the spokesman.

"During the ongoing investigation, we will continue to work together with the South African authorities for a prompt and appropriate settlement based on facts and in line with the friendship and cooperation between our two countries," he said. Endit