Environmental activist group Greenpeace has released a new report in which the group claims Chinese companies are conducting Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing off the coast of western Africa.
The report is the product of two years of investigation by the group, and identifies “at least 74 vessels” in 82 cases of what Greenpeace charged was IUU fishing. The cases occur in waters off Senegal, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Ghana.
Most recently, a Greenpeace vessel operating off the coasts of Senegal, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea between 26 October and 21 November 2014 claimed to see, in Guinean waters alone, 16 illegal fishing activities conducted by 12 vessels either carrying the Chinese flag or owned by Chinese companies. The report names China National Fisheries Corporation as one of the overall culprits. In a statement, Greenpeace accused China of being two-faced, offering help to African nations during the Ebola outbreak while exploiting their waters at the same time.
“They were taking advantage of weak enforcement and supervision from local and Chinese authorities to the detriment of local fishermen and the environment,” said Rashid Kang, head of Greenpeace east Asia’s China ocean campaign.
