Opinion | Demonising China does nothing to untangle the contesting claims on South China Sea’s fish-rich waters
- Rampant illegal fishing – by flagged vessels from many nations, not just China – has made the problem more complex
- Data on arrests over illegal fishing show China is far from being the worst aggressor, and painting it as such only further muddies the water
If they were asked which country is the biggest fish thief in the South China Sea, most casual observers would answer “China”. After all, it has been widely portrayed as the country behaving the worst in the area.
A flurry of recent articles in prominent media, including The New York Times, perpetuates this perception, highlighting Chinese fishing vessels’ aggression in waters claimed by others and criticising Beijing for not preventing such “stealing”.
But this perception needs to be put in perspective. While it may be fashionable to demonise China, the country is certainly not the only one stealing fish and challenging others people’s rights to the catch. Indeed, it is not even the major “fish thief” in the South China Sea.
Illegal fishing by Chinese fleets is but the tip of the iceberg when it comes to “illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing” – to use a term favoured by international bodies – in the South China Sea. Due to lax enforcement and reporting requirements, much remains unknown about this problem, including precisely who is fishing what, how much and where.
Vessel self-reporting is notoriously unreliable. Analysts have used satellite photos and vessel automatic identification systems to track fishing boats operating in waters claimed by others. But satellite photos do not give the regional picture or distinguish between, say, a fishing boat, a supply vessel or maritime militia. Meanwhile, some vessels do not have an automatic identification system, purposely turn it off, or conceal their identity as a fishing vessel.
