Giant squid resources in Peru: the lifeline of fishermen

Over the past three decades, the rich fishery resources along the Pacific coast of Peru have provided many local fishermen with a living resource. For fishermen like Francisco Chiroque, 49, giant squid is not only a daily target for fishing, but also the mainstay of their family's livelihood. However, this year, the amount of squid he caught has dropped sharply, triggering dissatisfaction with Chinese fishing boats in the Peruvian fishing industry.

Peru's squid catch has reportedly dropped by about 70% this year, and the Peruvian fishing industry blames the Chinese industrial fishing fleet cruising on the edge of Peruvian waters. Chiroque said that hundreds of Chinese fleets are fishing day and night in this area usually operated by local small fishing boats, posing a huge threat to the livelihoods of local fishermen.

The expansion of Chinese fishing boats: an impact on Peruvian fisheries

China has the world's largest industrial fishing fleet, with more than thousands of ships, which has caused a global shortage of fishery resources. From the coast of Africa to Latin America, the activities of the Chinese fleet have caused widespread ecological impacts, and the US government has imposed sanctions on some Chinese fishing vessels, calling them "a major threat to global marine security."

Alfonso Miranda, head of Calamasur, a multinational squid industry organization, pointed out that the expansion of Chinese fishing vessels may lead to the gradual disappearance of Peru's artisanal fishermen. These fishermen are in a completely unequal competition when facing large-scale industrial fishing. They are unable to stop it and cannot afford the economic losses caused by the sharp drop in fishing volume.

Fishermen's life dilemma: unemployment, frugality and hardship

Under the industrialized fishing of the Chinese fleet, many fishermen in Peru are facing huge economic pressure. Segundo Meza, a 54-year-old squid fisherman, has lost his job and had to change his career. His son was also forced to leave the fishing industry and turn to farm work. In order to save money, his family had to give up their daily breakfast and suspend paying water and electricity bills. Mesa said with emotion, "The ocean was my life, but now it has become a mess."

The expansion of the Chinese fleet: From 2001 to the present

In 2001, the first 22 Chinese fishing fleets arrived on the west coast of South America and began to catch giant squid on a large scale. According to the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization, the Chinese fleet caught 17,700 tons that year. Today, this number has increased to about 500,000 tons per year. The number of Chinese fleets has also grown to about 500, and their operations are close to the edge of Peru's 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone, moving with the migration patterns of squid and closely tracking the fish resources along the coast of Peru.

Although most of these ships do not enter Peru's national waters, their way of fishing close to the border still has a huge impact on local fishermen. Local fishermen believe that this is a typical "David and Goliath" style of unequal competition. Elsa Vega, president of the Fishermen's Association, bluntly stated that this unfair competition is gradually depleting Peru's fishery resources.

International response: The United States launches an operation to combat illegal fishing

In response to this situation, the U.S. Coast Guard has launched a special operation to combat illegal fishing off the coast of South America, and for the first time boarded a Chinese ship for inspection to curb illegal fishing activities. In response to this international fishery resource issue, officials and environmentalists in many countries have called for more effective regulatory measures to protect the marine ecology and the economic security of coastal countries.

Chinese fisheries spark controversy around the world: ecological threats from Africa to South America

The Peruvian case is only part of China's global fishing activities. Chinese fishing boats' fishing activities in other regions have also caused a fishery resource crisis. For example, off the coast of West Africa, small fish resources in coastal countries such as Ghana have been almost completely caught by Chinese ships, seriously affecting the livelihoods of coastal communities; in the Indian Ocean, Chinese tuna fishing boats have been accused of forced labor and cruel shark finning. In 2016, the Argentine Coast Guard even sank a Chinese fishing boat suspected of illegal fishing. This incident highlights the global controversy of China's fishing activities.

Peruvian fishermen's appeal and future hopes

With international attention and support, Peruvian fishermen hope to curb the predatory behavior of the Chinese fleet as soon as possible. Although the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Chinese fishing boats are not the cause of the reduction of squid resources, the fishermen believe that only by strengthening international cooperation can the livelihoods of local fishermen be protected from destructive fishing.

In the global context of the gradual expansion of China's industrial fishing fleet, fishermen in coastal countries such as Peru will face more severe challenges. This is not only a crisis for local fisheries, but also a severe test for the global marine ecosystem.