Chinese fishing boats have been exploring the waters in the northwest Indian Ocean region to illegally catch overfished tuna, a Norway-based environmental watchdog reported on Wednesday. The report notes that Chinese squid vessels have exploited gaps in fishing regulations in the Indian Ocean, and documents how their presence in the area has increased six-fold since 2016.
Trygg Mat Tracking (TMT) said that the surge in fishing vessels in the region highlights a lack of international cooperation to protect marine species. Saying that it has been monitoring squid fishing activities in the Indian Ocean since 2017, TMT noted that the industry is “currently unregulated and has seen significant expansion year on year.”
NEW ANALYSIS: Unregulated squid fishing in the northwest Indian Ocean. Low levels of AIS transmission / transshipment at sea / possible EEZ incursions / Chinese fleet / bycatch includes tuna.
— Trygg Mat Tracking (@tm_tracking) December 8, 2021
Read the briefing here - https://t.co/surqn2HAzV #IUUfishing pic.twitter.com/xYOhkYmTQW
The group also noted that a “vast majority of the vessels were identified as Chinese,” including Chinese research vessels. This activity goes against “recent announcements by the Chinese Government to limit high seas squid fishing,” the report asserts.
The report states that all documented vessels “are using a type of gear […] not previously observed” and involves large ‘dip nets’ that could potentially harm marine ecosystems if used on a wide scale.
The claims add to accusations that the Chinese fishing fleet frequently engages in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing across the world. According to United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), IUU fishing is “one of the greatest threats to marine ecosystems due to its potent ability to undermine national and regional efforts to manage fisheries sustainably.” FAO says that IUU fishing exploits “corrupt administrations and exploits weak management regimes,” particularly in developing countries, and is often associated with organised crime.
China’s overseas fishing fleet of around 3,000 vessels is the world’s largest and is known for travelling long distances in search of marine catch. Chinese fishermen have also sparked diplomatic incidents after their boats have on numerous occasions illegally entered the territorial waters of other countries.
In 2020, the presence of a large fleet of Chinese fishing vessels in the Pacific Ocean near the Peruvian coast ignited a diplomatic spat between China and the United States (US), after Washington accused Beijing of overfishing in Peru’s territorial waters. Moreover, Chinese overfishing near Peru has impoverished Peruvian fishermen after fish stocks started to dwindle following a surge in Chinese flagged fishing vessels in Peru’s waters. Reports indicate that from 54 in 2009 to over 500 in 2020.
Chinese fishing boats have also been spotted near the coast of Argentina in the Atlantic Ocean. In 2016, the Argentinian navy sunk a Chinese boat that refused to leave Argentina’s territorial waters. In 2021, a US conservation group reported that hundreds of Chinese fishing vessels near the Argentinian coast have hidden their movements and have been illegally exploiting the nearby waters.
The report also notes that there are “indications of potential EEZ [Exclusive Economic Zone] incursions into Oman and Yemen” by Chinese vessels and states that some of the Chinese boats observed for the report had a history of illegal activity in other parts of the world.