China's Fishing Fleet Threatens Marine Life in South America: Study Finds

China: A report by Geopolitica.info has exposed the damaging impact of China's Distant Water Fishing Fleet (DWF) vessels on the marine life and ecological balance in South America.

The DWFs have been caught fishing rare and protected species in international waters near South Korea, Japan, Argentina, Chile, and Ecuador.

Despite being located over 19,000 to 22,000 km away from China, these DWFs have been found to be fishing near America's coastal regions.

The worst-affected region is the Galapagos Islands, which have become a target for the DWFs from China due to the lack of overlap between the Ecuadorian mainland's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and the Galapagos' EEZ, creating an international fishing corridor.

The DWFs have been caught turning off their identity transponders to avoid detection and openly fishing in the area.

They are also causing harm to the environment by dumping waste into the ocean, with an estimated 30% of the garbage collected on the shores of the Galapagos Islands believed to come from Chinese fleets.

Argentine authorities have taken action against the DWFs, sinking a Chinese-flagged trawler that was caught illegally fishing within the country's EEZ. Uruguay has also caught a Chinese-flagged vessel within its EEZ, carrying 11 tons of squid.

Meanwhile, local fishermen in Peru have complained about the overfishing of giant squid, which is the country's second biggest marine resource.

This overfishing has led to job losses and the threat of the fishing industry in the area being wiped out.

The report highlights the illegal activities associated with these DWF fleets, including encroaching on other nations' territorial waters, exploiting workers, and fishing protected and endangered species.

These DWF vessels are not only harming the local marine ecosystem and fishing industry but are also driving local fishermen to engage in illegal activities to make a living.

The report has sparked legal protests throughout South America against the Chinese DWF fleets.