A major Chinese fishing company is facing a CNY 130 (USD 20.5 million EUR 16.8 million) fine for damage to local ocean ecosystems in what looks like a landmark case on illegal fishing in China’s waters.
Rongcheng Wei Ba Fishing Industry Co., operating from the port of the same name on China’s east coast, was named and charged in a high profile press conference involving four different government agencies. At the conference authorities announced that in addition to the fishing company the merchants handling the illegally caught fish – anchovies – would also be prosecuted.
At a court building in Lianyungang city in Jiangsu province, the fishing firm was charged with using nets of 10 millimeters in diameter, rather than the 54-millimeter minimum the government mandated off China’s east coast between 2015 and 2017.
A total of 46 individuals face charges according to the indictment, which also states prosecutors want Rongcheng Wei Ba Fishing Industry Co to publish an “apology” in local newspapers after paying the fine, which was calculated as the damage caused by the firm. China has been enforcing fishing laws and conservation periods in its domestic waters with increased vigor over the past two years.
