Organized crime’s roots in China’s seafood industry have been revealed by several reports in national and provincial media outlets.
The reports have been sanctioned by China’s central government, which over the past year has conducted a concentrated campaign against organized crime in the sector.
The verdict at a widely-covered court case has suggested criminal collusion with government fisheries authorities in the city of Tangshan on China’s east coast.
The case, which was heard in Yingkou City, Liaoning Province, saw 97 individuals convicted for sentences ranging from 10 to 30 years for crimes that included extortion and violence towards fishermen, who were forced to supply their catches to the gang at artificially low prices.
Also, in the key fisheries province of Fujian, authorities have conducted a high-profile postering and leafleting campaign in local ports warning fishermen of the presence of “black societies” and “nefarious and evil gangs” in ports.
