Thread by @andreasmoun

#CHINA’S BULLYING TACTICS WITH FISHING BOATS AND SHIPS IN #TAIWANSTRAIT - Thread

China's bullying has taken a new form as Chinese squid fishing boats are indulging in overfishing in the Taiwan strait, with complete and utter disregard for the environmental impact for the same

(1) Small island communities are bearing the brunt of China's unfettered exploitation of natural resources. China's actions could be deliberate, as it is known to bully weaker nations.

(2) The environmental damage arising out of China's actions is incomprehensible - from illegal fishing expeditions in international waters to sand mining dredgers and marine debris, there is no low China has not stooped to.

(3) Small islands are forced to bear the cost of environmental destruction caused by China's hands. Between August to late September, hundreds of Chinese fishing vessels could be seen near Matsu islands.

(4) These boats employ a certain green light, which makes them stand out. This is because most of these ships are meant to capture squids, and research has shown that cephalopods prefer green/blue light.

(5) Sadly, there are no restrictions in place to prevent overfishing in these waters. Unregulated light fishing may cause environmental destruction, increased bycatches, and the depletion of fish. Additionally, the usage of light in fishing is itself a big issue.

(6) Current research suggests that lights used by these fishing ships affects the internal clocks of fishes and reproductive mechanism.

(7) The Chinese menace is not restricted to the territorial waters of its neighbours. A large Chinese fish fleet, comprising almost 300 ships has been operating near the Galapagos Islands in South America.

(8) China should actually take a page out of Taiwan's book and learn from them. In Taiwan, many municipal governments have set up restrictions that regulate the number of lights allowed per ship, acceptable brightness, operating distances from coast, and more.

(9) Chinese fishing is also negatively affecting the tourism at Matsu. Many tourists wait at night time to veiw "blue tears", a collection of bioluminescent algae.

(10) Chinese squid boats continue to operate illegally close to the waters of Matsu, which has negatively affected the local tourism industry.

(11) Chinese fishermen actually have the support of the CCP government. The expansion of Chinese fishing vessels and their overseas reach has been fueled by tax breaks on imported fishing equipment purchased abroad, and by subsidies for fuel and vessel building.

(12) Now that they have exhausted the marine resources of their own territory, they are targeting other nations. The U.S. Coast Guard recently declared that illegal fishing had replaced piracy as its top maritime security threat.

(13) In fact, Chinese vessels have ravaged poor fishing villages in West Africa too.

(14) According to satellite data analyzed by Windward, a Maritime intelligence firm, between November 2020 and May 2021, a total of 523 - mostly Chinese fishing vessels —

(15) 35% more than the previous season — were detected just beyond the boundary of Argentina's 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

(16) Of these, 42% of vessels turned off their safety transponders at least once. Clearly, these vessels have something to hide. It’s impossible to know what these ships did when they turned "dark". Most ships turn off their transponders when doing something illegal.

(17) Under a UN maritime treaty, to which China is a signatory, it is mandatory for large ships to continuously use what's known as an automated identification system, or AIS, to avoid collisions.

(18) Switching it off, except in cases of an imminent threat, for example hiding from pirate ships, is a major breach that should lead to sanctions for a vessel and its owner under the law of the nation to which it is flagged.

(19) Chinese actions have also led to the destruction of the habitat of a critically endangered species, the Chinese Crested Tern. The bird has abandoned its nests in Matsu for two years in a row, leaving many unhatched eggs behind.

(20) Scientists have concluded that this is a result of constant disturbances by Chinese sand dredgers, squid boats and other illegal fishing activities. Together they disturb the nearby wildlife around the clock.

(21) This destruction of the local ecosystem has also led to the depletion of fish, a source of food for the Chinese Crested Tern.

(22) Taiwan has undertaken some steps to combat China. Punishment for illegal sand mining has been increased. One could be fined 3.56 million US dollars and a maximum jail sentence of 7 years.

(23) This is risky, as China may try to use these actions as a pretext to further escalations.