NEW REPORT HIGHLIGHTS GROWING CONCERN WITH CHINA'S OVERFISHING: CHINA IS UNDERREPORTING ITS DRAW ON MARINE LIFE TENFOLD

  









photo: Scientific American

New data shows that China is underreporting its fishing catch by ten times.  This problem is particularly worrisome in some areas where they are fishing, such as the fisheries of West Africa, where lack of sufficient regulation is allowing the Chinese fleet to avoid reporting of the catch.

Scientists are worried because without sufficient reporting of the numbers of fish caught, there could very well be a case of fish depletion in areas where the monitoring is insufficient.  Already Canadian scientists are seen signs of a crippling trend towards depletion in the once abundant fisheries of West Africa.  

For a while now, scientists were suspecting that underreporting was being done by the Chinese to the world food agency, F.A.O., in Rome.  

An estimate by the scientist shows that the number of the overseas catch is probably 4.6 million tons a year, more than 12 times the figure actually declared of 368,000 tons.  

What this reckless fishing practice could wreak can already be seen in subtle hints here and there. In Mauritania, certain marine species are starting to dwindle.  Sea bream, grouper and octopus, or bottom dwellers are woefully low in numbers. That is a sign that the Chinese fleets are using bottom scraping trawlers.  

In order for the researchers to ascertain what the real number of the catch was, an undercover investigation was done.  Besides the fact that sometimes Chinese fly the local flag to avoid detection, the researchers had to interview the locals, and perouse newspapers and online reports in 14 different languages.  What they found for example, was that in many cases China reported no catch.  But the estimates were made, among other things, through an examination of the fishing fleet.  China has 900 ocean going vessels, with 345 in West Africa alone, of which 256 are bottom trawlers.  

The scientists' numbers then, are fare from precise. But they say "these numbers....give the first hint of the magnitude of the problem" of underreporting.  

Source : Scientific American 4.4.13