The extent and range of China’s international fishing operations is hinted at in a document issued by the government’s fishery watchdog to alert Chinese vessel owners operating abroad to inspections.
The document – seen by SeafoodSource – offers a schedule of inspections to be conducted through 2017 by visiting officials from the office of the China Fishing Vessels Inspection Bureau (which also runs the Registry of Overseas Vessels), a government body. Vessel owners are required to complete forms with details about their boats and crews, including such particulars as where the boats will be fishing and when they will be in port, in order to arrange the inspections.
According to the document, Chinese inspections will occur in the ports of several African and South American nations.
In South America, Suriname will be visited in April and Uruguay features surprisingly often, with inspectors planning to visit in April, June and September. Chinese vessels will also make multiple trips to Fiji, with inspections planned for March and August.
Among the African states to be visited by the Chinese inspectors: Cape Verde in April, Mauritius in June, Angola in July and South Africa, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire and Mauritania in August.
The Middle East will also be visited by Chinese vessel inspectors, who will make stops in Oman and Iran in June.
The only two Asian nations on the list are Malaysia and Thailand, which will have inspectors visit in September.
