An article published by the Royal United Services Institute on 21st September says that China appears to be reigning in its distant-water fishing fleet – the fleet of vessels that fish in areas outside the country’s domestic waters. The move has come as a surprise to fishing companies and the counter-illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing community alike given the country’s previous apparent reluctance to tackle illegal activity in its domestic fishing industry. This is good news for environmental protection, but the article warns that China watchers should pay attention to the potential knock-on effects. It asks how will China tackle IUU fishing where maritime borders are disputed (such as in the South China Sea)? It also asks how might China’s crackdown on Chinese fishers impact Taiwanese fishers abroad at a time of heightened tension between China and Taiwan? The article says that China’s role in the global IUU fishing problem is well-documented. China’s fishing operations are the world’s largest and farthest-ranging. Greenpeace estimated that China’s DWF is comprised of 2,500 vessels; in 2016, Chinese-flagged vessels were seized off South Africa and Argentina, among other locations.
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