"Before the Chinese fishing boats came here, we could expect a good catch when we cast our nets, even if we only cast the nets three times," one Mozambican fisher told the U.K.-based Environmental Justice Foundation. "Now we have to stay out at sea for a whole day to catch enough fish. This is heartbreaking, because these fish are not only for us, but also for our children,” he said. “They have destroyed our future livelihoods."
In October 2023, a State Council white paper said China would focus on "win-win cooperation, safe, stable, green and sustainable" distant-water fishing operations. Yet China’s vast fishing fleets, which cast their nets as far away as Latin America, West Africa, and even Antarctica, have been adding to the strain on worldwide fishing stocks, according to organizations monitoring the issue in recent year.
