ARGENTINA: Argentinian forces opened fire on and sank a Chinese boat illegally fishing in the South Atlantic after it attempted to ram a coast guard vessel, officials said Tuesday.
A video posted on the coast guard's website showed a large Chinese boat listing in the open sea while apparently under pursuit.
Poaching of fish is a perennial problem in the Atlantic and Southern Ocean, and has sometimes seen law enforcement agencies pursue violators for weeks on end at sea, but it is highly unusual for such incidents to end with a vessel being sent to the sea floor.
The sinking comes as China expands its long-distance fishing fleet to meet surging demand for seafood, with Beijing's foreign ministry expressing "serious concern" over the incident. - AFP
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