Some South American nations like Peru have instituted measures to crack down against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, but fleets with histories of illegal fishing have simply moved south to Chile to have their vessels serviced.
Last year, Peru’s Production Ministry issued an emergency decree which sought to strengthen the country’s fight against IUU fishing by restricting foreign vessels in Peruvian waters. The regulation – which largely aims to protect Southern Pacific giant flying squid and is mostly directed toward China’s controversial distant-water fleet – requires any foreign vessel looking to enter Peru to have a government-sanctioned SISESAT satellite device onboard and activated, regardless of the reason for its entry.
Since the decree’s entry into force, the presence of Chinese ships in Peru have been reduced to a minimum, Committee for the Sustainable Management of the Southern Pacific Jumbo Flying Squid (CALAMASUR) President Alfonso Miranda said in a release.
However, it seems those ships are now simply opting to go to friendlier ports, including in Chile.
“According to data from Global Fishing Watch, since the entry into force of the Peruvian standard, 12 arrivals of Chinese squid vessels have been registered at the Chilean ports of Iquique, Valparaíso, and Talcahuano to receive the port services that Peru previously provided,” Miranda said, adding that another six ships are awaiting authorization to enter Chilean shipyards...
