U.S. Coast Guard ships are about to arrive in Guam. (Sept. 24, 2020)
The continued movement of Chinese government-subsidized fleets into more distant waters in search of seafood and greater influence has become a common concern for Hawaiian fishermen and the U.S. military.
The Hawaiian news site Honolulu Civil Beat recently reported that a growing number of Chinese vessels have been seen near the Hawaiian islands that are not only overfishing but also using intimidation tactics.
The report quoted Eric Kimma, executive director of the Hawaii Longline Association, as saying that the boats are sometimes fishing, sometimes sailing in the eastern Pacific and sometimes appear to be just anchored offshore.
He also said a group of Chinese boats prowled north of Midway National Wildlife Refuge last week. “What are they fishing for? I don’t know,” Kimma said, “but it’s an example of them getting very close to Hawaii, and getting closer, we think.”
Chinese fishing boats tend to be much larger than Hawaii’s longliners, and they have also driven Hawaiian crews out of tuna fishing areas, Kimma said. Hawaiian fishermen claim the Chinese vessels have conducted aggressive maneuvers near their boats.
The U.S. Coast Guard said in a report last September that illegal, unannounced and unregulated fishing has become the most pressing security threat on the high seas.
The Coast Guard said, “Such exploitation undermines regional and national security, disrupts the order based on the rules of the sea, compromises access to and availability of food, and undermines legitimate economies.”
Last October, then-White House National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien announced that the U.S. Coast Guard would deploy rapid response patrol ships in the Western Pacific to carry out maritime security missions. He also cited illegal fishing and harassment of vessels by China.
The Honolulu Civil Beat also reported that it’s not just the sustainability of fish stocks that is a concern. Analysts have been closely monitoring the coordination between the Communist Party’s military and ostensibly civilian vessels in the South China Sea for years, and some say Beijing may use the same tactics to further expand its influence in the Pacific.
The report cites retired Navy Capt. James Fanell, a former U.S. Pacific Fleet intelligence chief, as saying, “The actions of the Chinese fishing fleet are integrated into the larger national operation.”
The Chinese government’s relationship with the Chinese fishing fleet is not limited to subsidies, the report said. Communist-flagged fishing vessels appear to have been scouting for the Communist Navy and spying on disputed territory in the South China Sea, sometimes clashing with vessels from neighboring countries.
The report also quoted Alex Gray, a fellow at the Foreign Policy Council, as saying that Chinese vessels have been sailing into U.S. territorial waters, including Hawaiian waters.
The Chinese Communist Party has been operating frequently in the South China Sea over the past few months. The Philippine government agency overseeing the disputed area discovered two months ago that more than 200 Chinese vessels were anchored in the waters around Whitsun Reef. The Philippine government believes the fishing boats are manned by militiamen. Whitsun Reef is located in an exclusive economic zone declared by the Philippines.
The Philippines described the presence of more than 200 Chinese militia boats on Whitsun Reef as “swarming and threatening. The United States, Japan and other countries have expressed concern about the Chinese Communist Party’s intentions.
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