US body goes fishing for fiction, not facts

A recent report by the United States' National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued negative certifications against China over allegations ranging from "illegal fishing" to "forced labor".

But do these accusations stand up to scrutiny?

The answer lies not in political rhetoric but in China's record of compliance and the institutional framework underpinning the governance of its distant-water fisheries. As a responsible distant-water fishing nation, China has consistently implemented conservation and management measures adopted by regional fisheries management organizations, and maintained one of the strongest compliance records among participating members.

That record is backed by concrete action. China has established an inter-agency coordination mechanism, designated ports and implemented port state control inspections. It has carried out fisheries law enforcement patrols on the high seas of the North Pacific for the past 10 years, deployed scientific observers, regularly submitted fisheries data and compliance reports, established a national liaison center at a university and organized multiple rounds of international compliance capacity-building programs. The country's contribution to high seas fisheries governance is well documented and its compliance record is readily verifiable.

Against this backdrop, the real question is not whether China complies with international rules, but whether the allegations reflect China's actual conduct or the inherent bias of a unilateral assessment system that seeks to extend the extraterritorial reach of US domestic law.

China formally acceded to the Agreement on Port State Measures in 2025. In reality, however, it had begun conducting research, establishing institutional arrangements and building implementation capacity years before joining the agreement.

Following its accession to the PSMA, China established an inter-ministerial coordination mechanism that clearly defines responsibilities for port entry reviews, vessel inspections, enforcement actions and information sharing. The revised Fisheries Law introduces dedicated provisions that provide a solid legal foundation for implementing port state measures.

After extensive inter-agency consultation, China announced its first batch of 23 designated ports this year. In early 2026, authorities conducted boarding inspections and documentation verification on several foreign fishing vessels entering these designated ports. From institutional design to practical enforcement, the system demonstrates China's determination to fulfill its international obligations.

China has also made remarkable progress in fisheries data governance and transparency. Electronic logbooks have been installed on all ocean-going distant-water fishing vessels, enabling the real-time transmission of information on fishing time, geographic coordinates, species caught and volume of catch to a centralized data platform. Blockchain-based traceability enables end-to-end tracking of squid products from harvest to market. The concept of "one fish, one code" has moved beyond theory into practical application, with pilot programs already implemented on select distant-water fishing vessels.

Some foreign media reports alleging that China is "using fishing boats for military purposes" seem to rely largely on low-frequency aquatic instrument system sampling or isolated snapshots. Continuous and comprehensive vessel position data maintained by the National Data Center for Distant-Water Fisheries of China tell a different story.

They show that Chinese fishing vessels operate primarily within established fishing grounds, with distribution patterns fully consistent with normal commercial fishing activities. There is no evidence of organized fleet formations or navigation patterns inconsistent with ordinary fishing operations.

China has also demonstrated leadership in marine conservation. In 2020, it became the first country to voluntarily introduce seasonal fishing moratoriums on the high seas — an unprecedented conservation measure undertaken independently by a single nation. The moratorium covers high seas areas in the Southwest Atlantic, the Eastern Pacific and the North Indian Ocean.

Annual monitoring data indicate that catch per unit of effort for squid stocks generally increased following the seasonal closure, with resource abundance in some fishing grounds recovering to their highest levels in recent years.

These effects demonstrate that while strictly adhering to international rules, China has also contributed to global fisheries governance through sustained scientific investment and responsible conservation measures, establishing a verifiable compliance record.

Within multilateral frameworks, Chinese scientists have continuously participated in scientific meetings and intergovernmental negotiations, submitted dozens of reports and served as chairs of scientific committees and working groups.

Over the past two decades, China's role has evolved from learning international rules to actively participating. This transformation has been driven by sustained scientific research and the consistent implementation of international obligations.

Yet, the US report gives inadequate consideration to China's scientific contributions and compliance record within multilateral institutions. Reducing governance practices that have been subject to multilateral scrutiny and verification to a unilateral bilateral compliance assessment is methodologically questionable. Such an approach not only fragments the inherently multilateral nature of international fisheries governance but also underestimates the oversight and accountability mechanisms embedded within existing multilateral institutions.

On the high seas of the North Pacific, the China Coast Guard has conducted fisheries law enforcement patrols on 10 occasions. These operations help safeguard order on the high seas and reflect the responsibilities expected of a nation committed to fulfilling its international obligations.

The rights and interests of crew members have also been strengthened. China has established a regulatory framework covering foreign crew employed on Chinese distant-water fishing vessels, with clear requirements governing employment contracts, wage payments and working conditions, backed by inter-agency cooperation.

Beyond regulatory measures, Shanghai Ocean University and the China Overseas Fisheries Association have jointly established a service center, providing psychological counseling, family relationship consultation, career development training and other professional services for crew members, while assisting fishing enterprises in conducting psychological risk assessments during recruitment.

Since the launch of its distant-water fishing industry in 1985, China has steadily developed the professional talent needed for the industry's growth. Contract-based education programs and university-enterprise partnerships have continuously supplied qualified professionals to the sector.

China's scientific observer network now covers the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans, providing essential data for international resource assessments. These data directly support scientific evaluations and conservation decisions made by relevant regional fisheries management organizations.

China has also helped countries across Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands strengthen fisheries management through technical training, joint research and capacity-building programs. Decades of sustained investment in human capital and knowledge sharing paint a far more accurate picture of China's role as a responsible fishing nation than the one presented in the NOAA report.

The author is secretary of the Party Committee of the College of Marine Living Resource Sciences and Management at Shanghai Ocean University.

The views don't necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

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