Pacific Nations Detain 4 Chinese, Indonesian Boats in 28-Million-Sq-Km Fishing Crackdown
Updated
Updated · The Jakarta Post · Aug 21
Pacific Nations Detain 4 Chinese, Indonesian Boats in 28-Million-Sq-Km Fishing Crackdown
3 articles · Updated · The Jakarta Post · Aug 21
Summary
Four vessels from China and Indonesia were detained or taken to port in Kiribati, Palau and Papua New Guinea for illegal fishing or license breaches, Pacific fisheries officials said.
Operation Island Chief ran from Aug. 3 to 14 across 28 million square kilometers, with 11 island nations boarding more than 100 vessels and flagging another 16 as vessels of interest.
The sweep targeted a region that supplies about half the world's tuna, yet Pacific islands handle only 15% of the catch despite earning $500 million in access fees and $1.2 billion in exports each year.
Illegal fishing has become a politically sensitive issue as Chinese fleets and joint ventures expand in the Pacific; inspectors issued 278 penalty notices to Chinese boats from 2008 to 2026, second only to Taiwan's 319.
Pacific leaders meeting in Palau from Aug. 30 are expected to discuss a new strategy to protect fishing rights and raise revenue as climate change threatens tuna stocks.