The islands situated hundreds of miles
from the mainland in the pacific are a
world heritage site. not if you are a chinese fisherman
though, an armada of nearly 300 chinese
vessels has sailed halfway across the
globe to lure the elusive humboldt squid
from the pacific ocean's depths.
According to the new zealand herald, the
associated press with spanish-language
broadcaster univision accompanied the
ocean warrior fishing ship this summer
on an 18-day voyage to observe the
chinese distant water fishing fleet on
the high seas off south america.
According to the newspaper, decades of
overfishing and keeping china's fishing
flotilla at sea is a technical feat made
possible through billions in state
subsidies, it said. Beijing says it has
zero tolerance for illegal fishing and
points to recent action such as a
temporary moratorium on high-seas squid
fishing as evidence of its environmental
stewardship.
Those now criticizing china including
the u.s and europe for decades raided
the oceans themselves. But the sheer size of the chinese fleet
and its recent arrival in the americas
has stirred fears that it could exhaust
marine stocks.
Meanwhile, activists are reportedly
seeking restrictions on fishing as part
of negotiations underway on a first-ever
high-seas treaty, which could boost
international cooperation on the
traditionally lawless waters that
comprise nearly half of the planet.
Of the 300 vessels, the publication said Sssociated Press (AP) observed up close
240 had a history of labor abuse
accusations passed convictions for
illegal fishing or showed signs of
possibly violating maritime law.
Collectively these issues underscored
how the open ocean around the americas
where the U.S has long dominated in
china as jockeying for influence, had
become a magnet for the seafood
industry's worst offenders.
It said that specifically 160 ships
either sailed with their mandatory
safety transponders turned off, broadcast
multiple electronic ids or transmit
information that didn't match their
listed name or location, discrepancies that are often associated
with illegal fishing although AP saw no
evidence they were engaged in illicit
activity.
Beijing is exporting its overfishing
problem to south america. reportedly said
captain Peter Hammerstedt director of
campaigns for sea shepherd, a
netherlands-based ocean conservation
group that operates nine vessels, including the ocean warrior. China is chiefly responsible for the
plunder of shark and tuna in
asia.
By all accounts the Humboldt Squid, named for the nutrient-rich current
found off the southwest coast of south
america is one of the most abundant
marine species. Some scientists believe their numbers
may even be thriving as the oceans warm
and their natural predators, sharks and
tuna are fished out of existence.
But biologists say they've never faced a
threat like the explosion of industrial
chinese fishing off south america. It really is like the wild west said
hammerstead. Nobody is responsible for
enforcement out there.
For dozens of chinese ships the journey
to the warm equatorial waters near the
galapagos began months earlier on the
opposite side of south america where
every austral summer between november
and march, hundreds of foreign-flagged
jiggers scoop up untold amounts of
shortfin squid in one of the world's
largest and regulated fishing grounds.
Between november 2020 and may 2021, a
total of 523 mostly chinese fishing
vessels 35 percent more than the previous season, were detected just beyond the boundary
of argentina's 200 nautical mile
exclusive economic zone, according to
satellite data analyzed by windward a
maritime intelligence firm.
Of that amount 42 had turned off at
least once their safety transponders. Meanwhile 188 of those same vessels
showed up near the galapagos including
14 chinese vessels that went offline in
both oceans for an average of 34 hours
each time.
