China: Three companies sanctioned for illegal fishing in West Africa, Greenpeace reports
"Chinese companies see subsidies cancelled and permits removed for illegal fishing in West Africa", 9 Mar 2018
The Chinese Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) is pulling the plug on three Chinese companies conducting Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing in West Africa. The MoA has cancelled the distant water fishing certificate of the Lian Run Pelagic Fishery Company Ltd. The company has had a poor record of IUU fishing for years and is facing a total shutdown of its entire distant water fishing operations involving 30 vessels in total. Also, the ministry has cancelled fuel subsidies for vessels belonging to two other major Chinese distant water fishing companies. Last spring...all three companies were arrested in the West African...evidence of various infringements including illegal nets, shark finning and fishing without a licence were handed over by Greenpeace to West African and Chinese authorities. China is currently taking measures to restrict 2900 distant water fishing vessels’ activities in their main fishing grounds. Since 2016, approximately € 90 million (700 million RMB) in subsidies for 264 fishing vessels belonging to 78 Chinese distant water fishing companies have been cancelled by the Chinese government. Three companies lost their certificates for distant water fishing, while 15 company owners and captains were blacklisted. [Refers to Lian Run Prelagic Fishery Company Ltd].