Advertisement
Advertisement
A photo of Chi Xinghai, one of the fishermen killed in the clash in October. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Dispute among Chinese fishermen ‘turned deadly’

October incident that killed 10 underscores struggle over dwindling stocks

At least ten people were killed in a dispute over fishing spots last year, underscoring the rising tension on China’s coasts as fishermen struggle to profit from dwindling stocks, according to a recent investigation by Chinese media.

Fishermen from Hebei province engaged in a fight with some of their counterparts from nearby Shandong province after the two fleets cast their nets at the same location in the Bohai Sea in October, the Beijing Youth Daily reported on Monday.

A wooden boat with a crew of 16 in the Hebei fleet capsized after it was allegedly hit by a steel vessel from the other fleet, the report said.

Ten people, including its captain, were confirmed dead and two are still missing.

The captain of the steel ship, Xiang Aimin, told police that his fleet went into the others’ fishing zone because the stocks did not look good in their own spot.

Xiang would be charged with murder along with one of his helmsmen, while two people on another ship faced charges of gathering to assault, the report said.

Chi Lixia, the sister of a Captain Chi Xinghai killed in the incident, said steel ships from other provinces had come as the catch diminished in the Bohai Sea.

Fishing boats prepare to go out on the Bohai Sea. Photo: SCMP Pictures

“In the past, we seldom saw or got into trouble with ships from Shandong,” Chi said.

Criminal cases involving fishermen are on the rise in China, where decades of overfishing and pollution have depleted its maritime resources.

In another fight over fishing locations in 2010, fishermen in the Bohai Sea threw stones and tools at each other. More than 250 people and 48 boats were involved.

In July this year, six fishermen in Zhejiang province were arrested for throwing stone plates at officers on a patrol boat, after they were caught fishing during an annual moratorium.

Some fishermen were driven away to disputed waters near China and even as far as the Indian Ocean to get better catches.

Their illegal fishing activities have resulted in arrests by other states, leading to diplomatic tension between China and its neighbours.

In June, Indonesia detained a Chinese boat and its crew of seven for fishing in Indonesian waters in the South China Sea, a month after it seized another vessel for illegal fishing.

Seoul has also reported a growing number of Chinese fishing boats trespassing in the neutral waters around the two Koreas.

The Chinese government has vowed to protect the country’s fish stocks by imposing fishing bans and cutting its fleet sizes.

Post