State Department officials have criticized China's unregulated, illegally-exploited and unmanaged fleets of ocean fishing vessels as a problem of regional and international concern.
The issue of illegal, unregulated and undeclared fishing of offshore fleets, especially large-scale Chinese fishing vessels, has been highlighted by US government officials in the event. press conference on 11/17.
A large Chinese squid fishing boat is anchored on South Korea's Ulleung Island
"On these vast seas are the world's richest fishing grounds. It is also home to the world's most serious illegal, unregulated and undeclared fishing practices - especially slowly. the fishing fleets come from China, "he stressed.
"This is in line with the behavior we've seen in China - from illegal fishing in seas, to the destruction of the marine environment in the East Sea, to choking the flow of the Mekong. These things seriously threaten livelihoods, sovereignty and security of many countries ", Mr. David Feith emphasized.
Chinese fishing ships swept all over the place
Speaking to international reporters at the telephone press conference, Mr. David Hogan - Acting Director of Marine Conservation Division, Department of International and Ocean Science of the US State Department - noted the situation of Illegal fishing is happening all over the world, with fishing vessels coming from many other countries.
He said the US government has a unified approach to all countries on this issue, calling on the concerned governments to increase accountability.
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State David Feith - responsible for regional, security policy and multilateral issues under the Department of East Asia and Pacific Affairs
"However, if we look at the number of Chinese ships, even in Southeast Asia alone, this country is a top priority. The most important factor to mention is the amount of fish available. fishing and its impact on the marine ecosystem. That is exactly why this country becomes our priority, "Mr. Hogan emphasized.
According to Deputy Assistant Foreign Minister David Feith, China is the country with the largest fleet of ocean fishing vessels in the world. The fleet is also subsidized by the government.
"The Chinese flag fishing vessel has illegal fishing in the exclusive economic zones of many coastal countries around the globe, from the Western Pacific to the Central Pacific, to both coasts of Africa and South America. This includes both unlicensed fishing and over-fishing licensing agreements, ”said Mr. Feith.
The US Deputy Secretary of State also noted that unnamed fishing vessels (not declared as ships of any country) illegally exploited in some areas, for example the North Pacific, were detected. registered mark in China.
"In addition, China's maritime militia, with an estimated 3,000 ships, is deliberately aggressive in both international waters and in the territorial waters of other countries," he said.
According to research by the Overseas Development Institute (based in the UK), China has the largest offshore fishing fleet in the world with nearly 17,000 ships. Among them, there are 1,000 ships "fly the convenient flag", that is, the ships that register and fly the flags of other countries.
According to David Feith, China's strategy is to "coerce and intimidate legitimate fishing vessels" and serve the Chinese leadership's long-term strategic maritime goals.
"China insists it is a responsible fishing nation, with a 'zero tolerance policy' on illegal fishing. Unfortunately the data shows a different situation ... China is in the light. The Global Anti-Crime Cross-country rating ranks as the most serious violation of illegal, unregulated and undeclared fishing in the world, ”he said.
The US State Department official also quoted information from the biodiversity conservation organization Pew Charitable Trusts. He accused the ports in China were considered to be the most likely to receive illegally caught seafood.
Call for international cooperation
The US State Department officials asserted that the country views the fight against illegal, unregulated and undeclared fishing as a national security and foreign policy priority.
"At this point, this could be one of the highest threats to marine security in terms of the risk to the economic value of the fishing industry," said Mr. Hogan.
An Ecuadorian naval vessel chased away a fishing boat on August 7 after a flotilla of mainly Chinese flags was discovered in the Pacific
According to US State Department officials, the country is promoting cooperation in developing fisheries surveillance resources and law enforcement forces of several countries around the world, including Southeast Asia.
"It is important that countries understand that fisheries are not separate from the issue of marine security. It should be seen as part of the direction of marine security. That is also the reason we build cooperation above." civil and national security aspects in every country want to be a US partner ", Mr. Hogan emphasized.
Responding to Bloomberg about his plan of action in the event that China continues to not change its behavior, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State David Feith declined to speculate on future policy. However, he noted that the US government "showed a willingness to look directly at China's disturbing behavior on many issues, then identified this recognition with its policies of coercive behavior. there is a cost ".
"We demonstrate this with sanctions in many cases. We show it through economic measures, law enforcement. Diplomatically, we act in consultation with allies. and partner, "said Mr. Feith.
"We encourage our allies and partners to act together, while at the same time becoming aware of these issues and studying how similarly minded countries can protect our interests and our interests. general, "he said.