The Chilean government is keeping a close eye on a large Chinese fishing fleet operating in the region and has expressed its determination to defend Chile’s maritime sovereignty.
Chilean Foreign Minister Andres Allamand said Thursday (Oct. 8) that his country’s Defense Ministry and Navy are keeping a close eye on a large Chinese fishing fleet that continues north along the Pacific coast of South America in order to defend Chile’s exclusive economic zone rights.
Alamand said that the Chinese fleet consists of about 300 fishing vessels, and that the fleet frequently travels in the Pacific Ocean and operates off the coast of Peru.
The Chinese fleet has previously fished for giant squid off Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands, sparking outrage in Peru’s domestic fishing industry last month and triggering a Twitter war between the United States and China.
The U.S. Embassy in Peru said in September that the Chinese boats had a history of avoiding being followed and appeared to be “discarding plastic” pollutants. The Chinese embassy responded by saying that China attaches great importance to protecting the environment and the oceans. In a tweet, the embassy said, “We hope that the Peruvian public will not be deceived by false information.”
Chilean Foreign Minister Alamand said that Chilean officials have not yet contacted the Chinese government. He said fishing vessels include private vessels “and some that may have some involvement with the state.
Chile’s long coastline is rich in fish and shellfish, which are a major source of income for fishermen throughout the country.
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