Beagle Ship Details and Seafarer Feedback

On April 13, 2024, the Argentine Naval Prefecture made a significant discovery when it detected two vessels navigating unlawfully within the Argentine sea. The Chilean tugboat 'Beagle' was towing the 'An Fong No.136' (MMSI: 416004892), which is registered to operate from Montevideo, without the necessary authorization or identification. This routine enforcement operation was conducted by the GC-28 Prefecto Derbes of the Argentine Naval Prefecture, which identified the ships operating within Argentina's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) without the appropriate permissions and with their Automatic Identification System (AIS) turned off. The Beagle had departed from Punta Arenas on April 4, tasked with towing the 'An Fong No. 136', which holds a fishing license for operations in the waters surrounding the Malvinas Islands. The aim was to transfer the vessel, which had lost propulsion, back to Montevideo for repairs. However, the entire towing operation was not communicated to the Maritime Authority, nor was authorization for transit requested, raising serious concerns about maritime safety and compliance. Upon interception, the GC-28 Prefecto Derbes promptly informed the captains of both vessels regarding their violations of maritime regulations. They emphasized that, as per decree 256/10 and Ordinance 01-10, any vessel intending to navigate between Argentine ports and the Malvinas, South Georgia, or South Sandwich Islands must obtain prior authorization from the relevant national authorities. The convoy had an estimated time of arrival (ETA) in Montevideo set for April 20, 2024, but faced significant regulatory scrutiny due to this breach of maritime law.