The Associated Press and Spanish-speaking broadcaster Univision accompanied the Sea Shepherd conservation group this summer on an 18-day trip to observe China’s deep-sea fishing fleet for the first time on the high seas off America’s coast. from South. China’s deployment in this area of ​​the Pacific Ocean is no accident. Decades of overfishing have pushed its overseas fleet, the largest in the world, ever further from home. U.S. and regional governments fear that the Chinese fleet’s push to the Americas will spur illegal fishing of endangered species and even threaten thriving species like the Humboldt squid, the main target of the boom in industrial fishing off the coast. from South America.

Here are some key points to remember:

1. Of the 30 vessels that the PA observed closely, 24 were accused of work abuse or showed signs of possible violation of maritime law. Specifically, 16 vessels sailed with their mandatory safety transponders turned off, issued multiple electronic IDs, or transmitted information that did not match their listed name or location – discrepancies often associated with illegal fishing, although the PA saw no evidence that they were engaged in illicit activities. Six ships were owned by companies accused of forced labor, including one ship, the Chang Tai 802, which the Indonesian crew said has been stranded at sea for years.

2. The number of Chinese-flagged vessels dedicated to squid fishing in the South Pacific has increased tenfold, from 54 active vessels in 2009 to 557 in 2020, according to the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization, or SPRFMO, an intergovernmental organization. group of 15 nations responsible for ensuring sustainable fishing in the region. Meanwhile, the size of its catch has increased from 70,000 tonnes in 2009 to 358,000 last year. Critics say regional fisheries management organizations that operate on the basis of consensus are powerless to prevent China from registering vessels linked to illegal fishing and abuse.

3. The Chinese fleet is able to fish for years sometimes because it can unload its sea catch into a network of giant reefers, or reefers, capable of carrying over 15,000 cubic meters of fish – enough to fill six Olympic boats. . -pools of size – to port. The giant tankers provide cheap fuel heavily subsidized by the Chinese government, adding to the environmental burden. The 12 reefers active in the Pacific last July had at least 196 encounters with fishing vessels during that time, according to satellite data analyzed by Global Fishing Watch, a US-based group that supports sustainable fishing.

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This story is a joint project between The Associated Press and Spanish-language broadcaster Univision.

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AP writer Joe McDonald and AP researcher Yu Bing in Beijing, AP Global Investigations intern Roselyn Romero in San Luis Obispo, Calif., And AP writers Edna Tarigan and Nini Karmini in Jakarta contributed to this report.

Follow Goodman on Twitter: @APJoshGoodman

Contact the AP Global Investigation Team at [email protected] or https://www.ap.org/tips/