Chinese vessels infiltrate Argentine fishing fleet
Photo: Picryl.
An international investigation by The Outlaw Ocean Project has revealed how China has gained control over Argentina’s fishing fleet through “flagging” practices, a strategy of registering foreign vessels under another country’s flag, allowing them to operate in restricted territorial waters.
The practice of “flagging” has allowed China to gain access to restricted fishing grounds in South America, Africa and the Pacific. The investigation revealed that Chinese companies control at least 62 industrial squid fishing vessels under the Argentine flag, representing more than half of the country’s squid fleet.
Many of these companies are involved in illicit activities such as fish dumping and tax evasion. Although Beijing announced in 2017 that it would limit its offshore fleet to 3,000 vessels to prevent overfishing, it did not include Chinese-owned industrial vessels operating under a foreign flag in this count.
A 2023 academic paper, cited by The Outlaw Ocean Project, details how China has used lease and transfer methods to access Argentine territorial waters as part of an overall policy. This strategy allows China to evade regulations and expand its influence in global fisheries.
In addition, the investigation documented the harsh working conditions on Chinese fishing vessels. In 2022, a group of journalists boarded a Chinese fishing vessel near Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands and found 30 men in deplorable conditions, working long hours in an extreme environment.
The presence of corpses in the Uruguayan port of Montevideo from Chinese fishing boats is further evidence of the precarious working conditions. Some bodies showed signs of beriberi, an easily preventable and curable disease caused by vitamin B1 deficiency.
In Argentina, China recently renewed the swap of billions of dollars vital to the Argentine economy in the midst of an economic crisis.
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