“Chinese Fishing Fleet Raises South American Ecological Alarm”

Concerns grow over a fleet of nearly 400 Chinese fishing vessels [...] off Peru's southern coast. [...] A monitoring report by Argentine researcher Milko Schvartzman, who specializes in illegal fishing, identified 342 Chinese fishing vessels operating last weekend off southern Peru. [...]

"The risk to marine conservation, migratory species and marine ecosystems is extremely high," Schvartzman told Argentine news outlet Infobae. He said the vessels target species such as squid and tuna, but also catch other marine life in their path, while generating significant pollution. "This fleet of nearly 400 vessels is constantly polluting the ocean. It discharges tons of plastic waste, used fuel, oil and all kinds of contaminants," Schvartzman said.

[...] Peruvian artisanal fishermen have reported suspicious activity by the Chinese fleet inside Peru's Exclusive Economic Zone. "They managed to interrupt the movement of species, such as jumbo flying squid and squid, toward the Chilean coast, preventing local fishermen from catching them". He said the practice has caused significant economic losses for local fishing communities. Peru's National Society of Artisanal Fisheries estimated those losses linked to illegal fishing at nearly $300 million.

[...] "We are talking about several hundred vessels. This is a danger and a problem that involves not only Chile but also Peru, Ecuador and Argentina. It is a regional challenge," Wilson said