Japan to Send Drones to South America to Fight Illegal Fishing

Japan has pledged to provide drones to Ecuador, Peru, Argentina, and Uruguay to help the four South American nations monitor their exclusive economic zones and crack down on illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, according to Sea Food Source.

The move is aimed at improving surveillance of foreign fishing fleets operating just outside, and sometimes inside, national waters. Among the primary concerns is China’s massive distant water fishing fleet, which regularly concentrates hundreds of vessels along the edge of South American EEZs, especially during squid season.

According to Milko Schvartzman, ocean policy coordinator at Argentina based environmental NGO Círculo de Políticas Ambientales, the donation could help relieve a major operational bottleneck.

“Keeping one vessel patrolling the sea strains resources heavily when 500 unregulated fishing vessels are at the doorsteps of your EEZ,” Schvartzman told SeafoodSource. “Resources are a constraint in fighting IUU fishing in Latin America, not just material ones but also maintenance and supplies.”

Drone details remain unclear

Japan has not disclosed the model, manufacturer, or technical specifications of the drones being donated. However, given the geography and operational needs of the region, these are unlikely to be small, short range systems.

To be effective, the drones will almost certainly need long range and long endurance capabilities, allowing them to fly far offshore, loiter for extended periods, and monitor fishing activity hundreds of miles from the coast. South American EEZs stretch vast distances into the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, well beyond the reach of conventional patrol boats or small tactical drones.

Platforms optimized for maritime surveillance, with endurance measured in hours rather than minutes, would allow authorities to identify vessels, document illegal activity, and cue manned patrols only when necessary, dramatically reducing costs.

Not just China

While China’s fleet often dominates headlines, Schvartzman emphasized that it is not the only actor operating aggressively in the region.

“The countries of South America are spending millions of taxpayers’ money monthly to avoid their resources and sovereignty being plundered by four heavily subsidized flag state fishing fleets: Spain, China, South Korea, and Taiwan,” he said.

The drone donation also comes amid deteriorating relations between Japan and China, driven largely by tensions over Taiwan.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi warned late last year that a Chinese military action against Taiwan could provoke a Japanese response, comments that were followed by China reinstating a ban on Japanese seafood and restricting Japanese media.

Equipment alone is not enough

Despite welcoming the drones, Schvartzman cautioned that technology alone will not solve the problem.

“Argentina has quite enough equipment but hasn’t made a serious move into the use of drones,” he said, pointing to political will and operational follow through as critical missing pieces.

Experts in the region have also renewed calls for the creation of a regional fisheries management organization in the Southwest Atlantic, particularly to address squid overfishing and data sharing gaps.

Daniel Skerritt, a senior analyst at Oceana, said in late 2025 that while RFMOs are not a perfect solution, they remain the best available framework for managing shared and migratory fish stocks.

“Without one, it is unlikely that we will get any impactful management at all,” Skerritt said.

DroneXL’s Take

Japan’s drone donation is a meaningful step, but its real impact will depend on what kind of drones are delivered and whether governments actually use them.

Long range, high endurance surveillance drones could fundamentally change how South American nations protect their waters. Without political commitment and coordinated regional management, however, even the most capable drones risk becoming expensive tools that sit idle while illegal fishing continues just beyond the horizon.

Photo credit: Argentina Ministry of Defense