Four Chinese fishing vessels in late February were found operating illegally inside South Africa’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and territorial waters without the required permits. The vessels repeatedly switched off their automatic identification system (AIS) transponders, a common practice among illegal fishing offenders.
Owned by Shenzhen Shuiwan Pelagic Fisheries, the vessels were tracked 12 nautical miles from the KwaZulu-Natal coast and along the Eastern Cape coastline. The captains of the Zhong Yang 231, Zhong Yang 232, Zhong Yang 233 and Zhong Yang 239 each were fined about $24,118 before leaving the country.
“South Africa will not tolerate the unlawful use of its maritime zones,” Willie Aucamp, South Africa’s minister of forestry, fisheries and the environment, said in a report by the Business Insider Africa website. “We remain resolute in safeguarding our marine resources and ensuring that our ports are not perceived as ports of convenience. Compliance with our laws is non-negotiable.”
A similar situation unfolded in Japan in early February, when authorities seized a Chinese fishing vessel that was operating in Japan’s EEZ off Nagasaki Prefecture. The vessel tried to flee when ordered to stop for an inspection but was intercepted. There were 11 people aboard, including the Chinese captain, who was arrested, Tokyo’s fisheries agency said. The incident marked the first time since 2022 that the agency had seized a Chinese fishing boat.
“We will continue to take resolute action in our enforcement activities to prevent and deter illegal fishing operations by foreign vessels,” Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said in a BBC report.
Chinese vessels have operated illegally in African waters for decades, and Beijing’s distant-water fishing fleet, the world’s largest, is the world’s worst illegal fishing offender, according to the IUU Fishing Risk Index. Due mainly to illegal Chinese overfishing, West Africa up to an estimated $9.4 billion to illegal fishing annually and is considered the world’s hot spot for IUU fishing.
Between 2015 and 2021, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania lost up to $142.8 million annually due to illegal shrimp and tuna fishing, according to the World Wildlife Fund. Other catch taken from these waters include at least 56 species of sharks and rays and a variety of reef fish. According to TRAFFIC, a wildlife trade-monitoring organization, South Africa loses at least $60 million annually to abalone poaching alone. A type of marine snail, abalone is considered a delicacy in China, where criminal gangs regulate its trade.
In KwaZulu-Natal, residents of Kosi Bay have decried the presence of foreign trawlers, particularly those from China, that allegedly anchor in international waters by day and move closer to shore at night. The bay consists of four interlinking lakes that flow into an estuary before meeting the Indian Ocean.
The illegal trawlers commonly engage in bottom trawling, which involves dragging a net along the sea floor, indiscriminately scooping up all manner of marine life. This kills juvenile fish, leading to declining fish stocks, and destroys ecosystems. Locals complain that they have been excluded from stakeholder engagements, but there is hope that more collaboration between local fishermen and the government can resolve their issues.
“If we work together, we can’t stop because together we solve issues,” a community member told The Pulitzer Center. “When you look all around there in the sea, you [see] Chinese writing. … ”
Despite limited maritime surveillance capacity, South Africa’s government has taken steps to address IUU fishing. According to The Pew Charitable Trusts, the country is a global leader in adopting international agreements that target IUU fishing and vessel and labor safety. The agreements require inspections of fishing vessels in port that can help national authorities monitor and control IUU-related issues.
These agreements include:
1. The Port State Measures Agreement, the only binding international treaty specifically designed to eradicate IUU fishing. The agreement outlines best practices for port controls.
2. The Cape Town Agreement, which outlines standards for design, construction, maintenance and equipment for fishing vessels 24 meters or longer to ensure that ships are well built.
3. The Work in Fishing Convention No. 188, which addresses the occupational safety, health and medical care needs of workers on fishing vessels.
South Africa is working to develop standard operating procedures to enhance inter-agency information-sharing to notify relevant authorities of potential noncompliance with each treaty. The government also is encouraging safety and labor officials to wear body cameras during inspections to bolster real-time information-sharing between agencies. Fisheries inspectors are urged to ensure that a vessel’s markings or flag are consistent with its documented or certified information.