China has a huge number of fishing areas around it. The problem is that its territory has become small and its fishing grounds are no longer sufficient. According to estimates, between a 32% and a 40% of the tons produced by fishing worldwide correspond to China, surpassing the second and third powers combined. They have no intention of losing quota and the consequence is that Chinese fishing vessels are moving far away from the country to make catches.
How much is a lot? For example, the South American coasts, where this week we have seen hundreds of Chinese fishing vessels raiding the squid fishing grounds on the edge of the border of Peru’s territory.
Full speed ahead towards Peru. The photo is impressive. Dozens and dozens of boats labeled as Chinese fishing boats settled at the 220 mile limit off Mollendo. They are at just the right distance so that it is not considered that they have entered Peruvian territory, remaining in international waters. The image we leave below corresponds as of October 7, counting 401 Chinese fishing vessels, 8 refrigerated vessels of different nationalities and four gas station vessels.
Constant procession. The striking thing is that it is something that we can see at almost any time live thanks to Vessel Finder. It doesn’t matter what time of day or date you take a look at the coordinates of the image, because if you approach just that limit of the Peruvian waters in front of Mollendo, you will see hundreds of ships swirling around. If you move the camera, you can clearly see a “highway” of fishing boats heading towards China. And vice versa.
The blue ones are fishing
squid. Being in international waters, it seems that little can be done, but the problem is that Peruvian fishermen are already starting to get tired and, under your point of viewthis is an illegal activity that is putting the squid at risk. This mollusk with a very similar appearance to squid has recently experienced a spectacular price increase: 400%, to be exact.
In statements to La República, the sellers affirm that “the population asks about pota, but there is none. They are taking it to another place because we are looking to sell it, but we can’t find it.” That is the feeling of fishermen and sellers who see how a food that was basic in Peruvian gastronomy, in addition to being affordable, has become prohibitive due to its price and scarcity.
Doors to the countryside. That China is going fishing on the South American border is not new and the current government has already tried to put the brakes on it with a decree which required that “foreign flag fishing vessels that carry out fishing activities for straddling or cross-border hydrobiological resources outside the maritime domain of the Peruvian State, will have to have the equipment of the SISESAT” (Peru’s ship monitoring system). He problem is that the Chinese ships continued their activity, even entering Peruvian territory.
flagging. And another problem that countries in the region are facing is a practice known as ‘flagging’. It is about authorizing a ship to fly the flag of another country. In that case, it is subject to its legislation and, in the case of Chinese fishing companies, it is something that has allowed the country to allow its boats to access fishing grounds in other countries. And it is something that can be done more or less easily through commercial agreements to register that foreign ship under the flag of the corresponding country.
Be careful, Argentina. And it is something that Chinese companies have been doing in foreign seas (not in international waters, but in the territories of other countries) for a few years. In 2016 there was a big scandal: that of Lu Yan Yuan Yu 010. It was a Chinese fishing boat that illegally entered Argentine seas. He was carrying the Chinese flag and, when he was caught red-handed, an Argentine patrolman tried to contact him in both English and Spanish. The fishing boat turned off the lights and headed towards international waters.
The Argentine patrol boat fired deterrent shots, but it seems that the fishing boat tried to ram them, so the Argentine boat sank the Lu Yan Yuian Yu 010 (rescuing the entire crew, of course). After this event, Chinese companies began to practice ‘flagging’, but from Argentina they suspect that Chinese vessels continue to operate in their waters illegally with one thing in mind: capturing squid.
World. In the end, we have told the case of Peru because it is very striking that 400 ships are concentrated day in and day out so far from home, in addition to the shortage of product that they are causing and, therefore, an increase in prices, but the Chinese fishing boats are actually colonizing the oceans. Even with cases of fishing in… Africaspecifically in the waters of Morocco, Madagascar, Kenya, Ghana or Senegal, not to mention the activity in the Kiribati Islands.
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