A report published today by Greenpeace exposes widespread fraud involving Chinese companies fishing in West Africa, both with vessels flying the Chinese flag and vessels operating under joint ventures. Based on information obtained by Greenpeace primarily in Senegal, Guinea Bissau and the Republic of Guinea (Conakry), the report shows that China’s biggest distant water fishing company, the China National Fisheries Corporation (CNFC), as well as other Chinese companies, have systematically under-declared the gross tonnage (GT) of their fishing vessels for years.
Under-declaring the tonnage of vessels amounts to fishing illegally, according both to the legislation of the coastal and flag States involved and the FAO International Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate IUU Fishing. According to Greenpeace, this pervasive form of IUU fishing has been going on for almost 30 years and involves responsibilities at various levels, both in China and in the coastal countries involved.
Greenpeace calculated that, from 2000 to 2014, CNFC under-declared the GT of its vessels to the Senegalese authorities by 43% on average annually compared to their actual GT. In 2014 alone, CNFC has fraudulently hidden a total of 1742 GT through GT fraud.
This fraudulent practice by CNFC also occurs in Guinea Bissau and Guinea and involves other Chinese companies. For 59 CNFC vessels fishing in Senegal, Guinea Bissau and Guinea in 2014, evidence was found showing that the GT of 44 vessels was under-declared. In total, 6757.7 GT have been hidden from these coastal States, which represents approximately adding an equivalent of 22 extra industrial fishing vessels with a capacity of 300 GT each into their waters.
License fees are calculated on the basis of the GT, so companies that under-declare the GT of their vessels are depriving coastal States’ governments of revenue. For example, the fraud represented an estimated shortfall for Senegal of at least 371,404,800 CFA Francs (566,203 EURO) in license fees, that CNFC avoided paying during the period 2000 to 2014[1].
It also allowed industrial vessels to gain access to local artisanal fishermen’s zone, where they shouldn't be fishing, as is the case in Senegal.
Under-declaring GT also means that the actual fishing capacity deployed is much higher than authorized and undermines fisheries management and conservation efforts by coastal States, as illustrated by the CNFC/Guinea Bissau agreement. According to the terms and conditions provided by the fisheries agreement signed between CNFC and Guinea Bissau in 2010, it appears that, in the first half of 2014 alone, CNFC vessels actual fishing capacity exceeded the authorized capacity limit by 61%.
The degree to which GT was under-reported also raises the question of how much of the reported catches by CNFC and other companies during that period were illegal. Considering that fish caught by Chinese companies has been sold, among others, on European markets, this highlights loopholes in EU current efforts to stop trading of IUU-caught fish.
Greenpeace concludes by underlining that it is of the utmost urgency that governments, both coastal and flag States involved, investigate the alleged fraud by Chinese fishing companies as well as the potential fraud by other industrial fishing companies with vessels fishing in their EEZs, whether foreign-flagged and/or owned/operated. In addition, all States involved should conduct a comprehensive assessment and publish the lists of fishing vessels operating in their waters and/or under their flag.
The link to the report 'Scam on the African Coast': http://www.greenpeace.org/africa/Global/africa/graphics/Amigo/Scam%20on%20the%20African%20Coast%20FINAL%20PROOF(1).pdf
[1] These figures are doubtless under-estimated as it only includes data for 15 out of the 30 years of CNFC operations in Senegal alone, and only the part of the vessels for which GT could be estimated.