Chinese fishing plant in Torres Strait raises alarm for Australian industry and islanders

“Under the influence of China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ policy, Fujian Zhonghong Fishery Company decided to invest in Papua New Guinean (PNG) and signed the memorandum of understanding with PNG’s fisheries minister, Lino Tom.

A $200m Chinese-built fishery plant planned for a Papua New Guinean island could allow Chinese-backed commercial vessels to fish legally in the Torres Strait, and has raised concerns about unregulated fishing in the same waters, potentially threatening the Australian industry and local PNG fishers.

This deal could allow Chinese-backed commercial vessels to fish legally in the Torres Strait, and attract Chinese funding for PNG-flagged vessels.

In August 2020, nearly 300 Chinese vessels logged 73,000 hours of fishing in a month, hauling in thousands of tonnes of squid and fish.

Source: The Guardian #Nov26

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/27/chinese-fishing-plant-in-torres-strait-raises-alarm-for-australian-industry-and-islanders?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

#Australia #BRI #PNG #Fishing #China

The $3bn bargain: how China dominates Pacific mining, logging and fishing
 
Guardian analysis of trade data has revealed that China received more than half the total tonnes of seafood, wood and minerals exported from the region in 2019, a haul worth $3.3bn that has been described by experts as “staggering in magnitude”.

The country’s mass extraction of resources comes as China has deepened its connections with governments across the region, amid a soft power push that sees it rivalling the influence of the US and Australia in the Pacific.

China took more by weight of these resources from the Pacific than the next 10 countries combined, with experts saying China “would easily outstrip” other countries, including Australia, when it comes to “gross environmental impact of its extractive industries”.

Source: The Guardian #May30

https://t.co/V4n5Z7OROW

#China #Pacific #Mining #Logging #Fishing

To ensure the #UnitedStates can have #freetrade through the Pacific Ocean, the U.S. needs to protect the island nations and their source of income—one of which is #fishing. This comes as China sent over 200 fishing boats toward the Philippines and directly invaded the nation's economic zone in March of this year.

🔥WATCH here👉https://youtu.be/e1dLb3VGDBw

The U.S. is now helping #WestAfrica counter China's #Illegal #Fishing. For the first time, Washington is conducting maritime drills with West African forces as deterring illegal fishing from Chinese vessels has become a top priority.

https://ept.ms/SVBCollapseCCPCorp