China’s Shadow Fleet: The Global Crisis Of Illegal Fishing From Argentina To India – Analysis

China’s distant-water fishing fleet—numbering at least 2,500 vessels—harvests roughly four million tons of fish annually. Yet, their reach and methods have provoked widespread condemnation for violating international maritime norms, devastating fish populations, and triggering human rights abuses.In the Indian Ocean, the scale of these offences is starkly visible. A 2024 report by the