In the South Pacific, the Chinese fishing fleet has been defying Peruvian regulations aimed at strengthening measures against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, Peruvian sustainable development nongovernmental organization (NGO) CooperAcción said in early March. The Chinese fishing fleet’s actions is “putting both the ecological and economic balance of the region at risk,” CooperAcción said.
In 2020, Peru implemented a regulation requiring foreign vessels using the country’s ports to carry an extra satellite tracking system to transmit their location in real time so authorities could more closely track their movements before entering Peruvian ports to combat IUU fishing, CooperAcción said.
Despite hopes that foreign vessels, especially Chinese, would comply with these measures given their dependence on Peruvian ports and shipyards, according to the NGO, few have adopted them, opting instead for ways around them.
“Since 2022, representatives of Chinese vessels have met and pressured Peruvian authorities to relax the regulations,” Juan Carlos Sueiro, Fisheries director of Oceana Peru, told Diálogo on March 15. “This has resulted in an increase in vessels evading regulations when entering the country.”
According to the South Pacific Giant Squid Committee (CALAMASUR), from the time the regulation was adopted up to early September 2023, only five vessels had installed the satellite location system.
The refusal of Chinese vessels to comply with these regulations “is surprising,” Alfonso Miranda, president of CALAMASUR, told CooperAcción. “It is evident that the refusal to install Peru’s satellite tracking system […] points to non-transparent practices to avoid controls,” Miranda said.
Chinese vessels devised ways to weaken or circumvent Peruvian port regulations, such as hiding behind automatic identification system outages or claiming forced arrivals due to technical problems, adverse weather conditions, or crew medical emergencies, Peruvian sustainable fisheries organization ArtisOnal said.
“The regulation of the satellite system lost effectiveness due to the influence of the Chinese regime and the update of the free trade agreement between both countries,” Sueiro said. “This results in the entry of Chinese vessels, turning the norm on its head by using the excuse of forced arrival and certificate renewals.”
Discrepancies
China operates an extensive government-funded distant water fleet of more than 10,000 vessels. These vessels supply the food needs of the country’s 1.4 billion people, and export seafood products worldwide, NBC reported.
Every year, between December and May, some 400 Chinese ships are deployed in South American waters, starting off Argentina. They then cross the Strait of Magellan to operate off the coasts of Chile and Peru from July to November, Argentine news site Infobae reported.
In 2023, 75 Chinese ships entered Peruvian ports without the required satellite positioning system, citing force majeure reasons to justify entry, half of them after June. Cases such as the Hong Run 55, off the radar for 36 hours before arriving at port, and the fishing vessel Ning Tai 65, which had its signal turned off for 93 hours after leaving the Port of Callao, stand out, ArtisOnal said.
In addition, following port inspection, 12 ships, all lacking the proper satellite tracking system, went to shipyards instead of returning to sea. The Chinese vessel Shun Ze 777 was seen receiving maintenance in breach of Peruvian regulations.
“China’s failure to comply with Peruvian port regulations is not due to economic motives, but to its interest in maintaining its control over the operations of its ships,” Sueiro said. “Beijing seeks to have control over decisions and avoid depending on others for its maritime activities.”
Unfair practices
The Chinese fleet employs a practice known as transshipment, in which fishing vessels offload their catch onto large cargo ships sailing a few miles away with refrigerated holds. The practice allows empty vessels to continue fishing. They can then fish for years without touching land. Although this practice is not prohibited, it can be used to hide IUU fishing or forced labor, NBC reported.
According to ArtisOnal, the movements of Chinese vessels reveal extensive periods of fishing, with an average duration of between one and a half to two years. Around 20 vessels operated on the high seas for more than two and half years, implying that some crew members remained at sea without touching land for nearly 1,000 days.
Artisanal fishermen face uncertainty over the conservation of species, Infobae reported, due to the lack of information and record of Chinese vessels’ activities. Chinese fishing far outstrips Peruvian fishing, impacting the sustainability of the fishery and significantly reducing fishermen’s earnings.
“Chinese vessels have the financial backing of their government, generating unequal competition for artisanal fishermen,” Sueiro said. “Moreover Peru, in the midst of an economic crisis, is accepting any investment, such as the Chancay Port developed by China.”
Chancay will likely allow the Chinese fishing fleet to do maintenance and repairs on their vessels, according to Sueiro. It will also likely speed up the transport of squid catches to Beijing, reducing delivery times. China, according to Sueiro, plans to operate this port fully and permanently.
“The Regional Fisheries Management Organization must address transshipments and the implementation of satellite tracking in real time, to control the Chinese fleet that operates unfairly with economic subsidies,” Sueiro concluded.