Chinese trawlers granted fishing rights in Madagascar have history of illegal fishing and forged documents

Date: February 24, 2022

Source: Environmental Justice Foundation

A fleet of Chinese vessels which was previously caught fishing illegally in West Africa has been approved for trawling by the Malagasy authorities. Under Malagasy regulations, no vessel with a history of illegal fishing should be allowed to fish in the country’s waters unless there is proof of a change in ownership. However, vessel documents used by the ships, which were obtained by the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), appear to be forged, raising major issues regarding the ownership of the trawlers. EJF urges the government to safeguard local livelihoods and food security by rescinding the fishing rights before the trawl season begins in March.

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