Chinese fishing boats break UN sanctions in North Korean waters: study
- More than 600 vessels spotted in region as of June, Global Fishing Watch says
- Transparency ‘the top priority for any country, including China, to ensure fisheries are managed sustainably’, watchdog’s data scientist says
Jaeyoon Park, senior data scientist with Global Fishing Watch, said on Tuesday that about 800 vessels originating from China were identified fishing in North Korean waters last year.
This year, more than 600 boats had been spotted in the region as of May/June, he said at an online seminar.
Other research released in July said that more than 900 vessels of Chinese origin were detected fishing in North Korean waters in 2017 and over 700 in 2018.
Despite the restrictions, the South Korean coastguard observed hundreds of Chinese vessels crossing into North Korean waters, Park said.
“Transparency is really the top priority for any country, including China, to ensure that fisheries are managed sustainably or transparently,” he said.
“So open up and share data and information with others publicly so that they demonstrate their complete commitment to transparency and sustainable management of fisheries.”
According to Global Fishing Watch, more than US$23 billion worth of seafood is stolen from the seas every year and more than a third of the world’s major commercial fish species are overfished.
Zhang Xianliang, head of the fishery department at China’s agriculture ministry, said in July after the release of the “dark fleets” report that Beijing was ready to cooperate with coastal nations and international organisations to establish recommendations and measures on high seas fishery protection.
Beijing’s South China Sea fishing ban threatens to raise tensions with rival claimants
In 2017, Beijing revoked the licences of six fishing companies and 10 captains engaged in illegal fishing overseas. In March this year, it said more names would be added to the blacklist.
Sally Yozell, a senior fellow and director of the environmental security programme at the Stimson Centre – a Washington-based think tank – said China had taken steps to improve its legislation on domestic and international fishing but “what they need to do is really to enforce these rules and regulations”.