Some countries in the region chafe at China's vast fishing fleet, arguing its vessels often violate their 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zones (EEZ) and cause environmental damage and economic losses
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President Joe Biden on Monday signed a National Security Memorandum (NSM) to address illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and related harmful fishing practices.
This is part of pledged efforts to help countries combat alleged violations by fishing fleets, including those of China.
In a statement, White House said that the US, the UK, and Canada will launch an IUU Fishing Action Alliance aimed at increasing ambition and momentum in the fight against illegal fishing.
This includes a pledge to take urgent action to improve the monitoring, control, and surveillance of fisheries, increase transparency in fishing fleets and in the seafood market, and build new partnerships that will hold bad actors accountable.
The statement added that the US Interagency Working Group on Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing, comprising 21 Federal agencies, will release its National Five-Year Strategy for Combating Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing (2022-2026) by the end of July
U S officials have vowed to introduce policies to better battle illegal fishing, particularly in the Indo-Pacific, as part of stepped up engagement with the region to counter China's growing influence.
Some countries in the region chafe at China's vast fishing fleet, arguing its vessels often violate their 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zones (EEZ) and cause environmental damage and economic losses.
Senior U.S. administration officials told reporters in a briefing that the memorandum directs agencies to work toward "ending human trafficking, including forced labor ... while promoting safe, sustainable use of the ocean."
The Department of Labor, the Department of Defense, the U.S. Coast Guard, and other enforcement agencies would engage with private and foreign partners to "investigate fishing vessels and operators expected to be harvesting seafood with forced labor," the official said.
The effort was not targeted at any specific country, but the official said China was one of the largest violators.
"The PRC (People's Republic of China) is a leading contributor to IUU fishing worldwide, and has impeded progress on the development of measures to combat IUU fishing and overfishing in international organizations," the official said.
"The PRC has a responsibility to uphold these commitments as a flag state and actively monitor and correct ... fishing fleet activities in other countries' waters," she said.
China says it is a responsible fishing country that has been cooperating internationally to clamp down on illegal fishing, and that it fishes in relevant EEZs according to bilateral agreements.
"The U.S. accusation is completely untrue and does nothing to protect the marine environment and promote international cooperation in sustainable fishery," Liu Pengyu, spokesman for China's embassy in Washington, said in a statement.
Earlier in June, the Philippines accused China of illegal fishing in its EEZ, a complaint backed by the U.S. State Department.