Surveillance of Jurisdictional Waters and the Continental Shelf

Law enforcement within Argentine navigable waters (sea, rivers, lakes, channels and other navigable areas devoted to inter-jurisdictional traffic and trade), as well as ports under national jurisdiction, have been entrusted to Prefectura Naval Argentina according to its Organic Act. No. 18,398.

Both Act No. 18,398 and Homeland Security Act No. 24,059 regulate jurisdictional waters. Moreover, Act No. 23,968 (which includes several principles of the United Nations Conventions on the Law of the Sea of 1982) extended Argentine intervention up to 200 nautical miles from coastal baselines. Therefore, Prefectura’s jurisdiction is clearly defined in the above-mentioned acts.

The surveillance of jurisdictional waters, as well as the enforcement of laws, regulations, ordinances, and safety and public order enforcement in those areas, is performed by Prefectura and its units, cutters and aircrafts positioned along Argentine sea and river coastlines.

The Economic Exclusive Zone (between 12 and 200 nautical miles) is of particular importance to the country due to the natural resources of its waters, the seabed and subsoil. In addition, Prefectura has been entrusted with fishing control functions pursuant to the provisions of Federal Fishing Regulations (Act No. 24,922).

These sovereignty rights over jurisdictional waters require permanent surveillance by surface and air means in order to prevent and control unlawful fishing activities performed by unauthorized foreign vessels.

According to the afore-mentioned Regulations, Prefectura has the authority to detain trespassing vessels and apply sanctions for violations.

Finally, Prefectura has entered into several agreements with provinces and national bodies in order to control sea and river hunting and fishing, and to prevent and control water pollution, as a complement to Prefectura’s jurisdictional waters surveillance and law enforcement functions.