Beijing, 3 Mar (Zhongxin Net) -- Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin presided over a regular news conference on 21 March.
A reporter asked: The US side has claimed on many occasions that Chinese fishing vessels are illegally fishing.
Wang Wenbin: The United States has always prided itself as a pioneer in the conservation of fishery resources. In recent years, however, there has been evidence that U.S. fishing vessels are accustomed to fishing illegally on the high seas and in waters under the jurisdiction of other countries. For example, several vessels of the U.S. South Pacific Tuna Company and TransGlobal Products were found to have repeatedly dropped fishing traps during the lockdown, illegally caught whales and sharks, and harassed international observers accompanying them. Some U.S. fleets have also been arrested and fined for illegally fishing lobster and rock shrimp in waters under the jurisdiction of South Africa and Canada.
In terms of international fisheries compliance, the United States adopts the double standard of "use in accordance with the rules and abandon if they are not". At meetings of relevant regional fishery organizations, U.S. fishery officials strongly demanded that other countries implement the treaty, but they "opened the net" to their own compliance. For example, at the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, while the United States is relentless in pursuing violations of fishing bans by other member countries, it interprets overseas territories such as American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands as "small island developing States", giving them improper rights to operate "legally" during the fishing ban period.
As a responsible DWF country, China has always carried out DWF fishing activities in accordance with laws and regulations, adhered to "zero tolerance" to combat illegal fishing, and continuously improved the compliance capacity and supervision level of DWF contracts. Carry out independent fishing moratoriums on the high seas, deepen bilateral fishery cooperation, actively participate in international and regional fisheries management organizations, and promote the scientific conservation and sustainable use of international fishery resources.
We advise the US side to first do its own things well on the issue of DWF, instead of presenting itself as a judge and law enforcer in the name of environmental protection and human rights, and frequently pointing fingers at the normal fishing activities of other countries, politicizing and instrumentalizing issues that are essentially fisheries. At the same time, we also hope that the United States will work with all parties to maintain a good international fisheries order through frank communication and cooperation. (End)