RIO DE JANEIRO / SHENYANG, China -- Chile, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia issued a joint statement this month to strengthen measures against illegal fishing, amid a growing outcry in South America over the operations of Chinese fishing fleets.
Beijing has called for Chinese fishing vessels to exercise restraint, but there has been no indication that they have stopped overfishing.
Leading Argentinean news site Infobae reported on Nov. 12 that Chinese fishing boats had been spotted in waters near Taltal in northern Chile. The report carried comments from local fishermen about their plight, including a complaint that "Chinese fishing boats could take up all the resources."
The Chilean Navy denied the eyewitness reports but stressed that it is monitoring the sea 24 hours a day and is aware of the movements of the fishing vessels.
According to the U.S.-headquartered marine conservation group Oceana and other organizations, a fleet of about 300 Chinese fishing boats has been operating off the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador since July. The fleet has been implemented in the overfishing of squid and other fishery resources.
Chinese fishing vessels operating in South American waters have become more prominent in recent years, mainly due to the impact of declining stocks in the waters around China.
In 2016, the Argentine coast guard sank a Chinese fishing boat that was operating illegally in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Chile, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia noted in the joint statement on Nov. 3 that fishing on the high seas by foreign fishing vessels is putting the conservation and sustainability of marine resources at risk. It avoided naming China, possibly because all the countries have deep trade and investment ties with China.
The Chinese government has instructed fishermen to stop illegal operations, but this appears to have had little impact.
In Zhoushan, Zhejiang Province, which is known as a base for ocean fishing vessels, fishermen have been trained in the relevant laws and regulations for about five year. However, a Chinese fishing boat captured by the Argentine Navy in May had left a Zhoushan port in October last year.
The Chinese government ordered a ban on fishing off the Galapagos Islands in August, but Ecuadorian authorities said that half of the fishing boats turned off their radar to avoid being tracked and continued fishing.
Juan Pablo Toro, executive director of the Chilean research institute AthenaLab, said the Chinese fishing fleet is a "well-prepared group" with tankers and medical vessels. "Countries need to work together to respond to the situation," he said.
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