artis0nal

Executive Summary

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The jumbo flying squid fishery (Dosidicus gigas) in the Southeast Pacific is of immense socio-economic importance for the coastal countries of Peru, Chile, and Ecuador, which catch this resource mainly within their jurisdictional waters. It is also a significant resource for the distant-water squid fleet flagged to China, Chinese Taipei, and the Republic of Korea, operating on the high seas within the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO) convention area. The annual squid catch reported by the SPRFMO Member States increased from ~108,000 to ~1,069,000 tonnes (SC11-SQ01-rev1) between 2000 and 2022, a growth of 900% in twenty-two years. Approximately 90% of the annual catches come from Peru and China, with the remaining 10% from countries such as Chile, Ecuador, Chinese Taipei, and the Republic of Korea.​

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Between 2010 and 2022, Peru's annual squid catches remained, on average, at around ~500,000 tonnes, while China's catches increased by 250%, rising from ~142,000 to ~509,000 tons. The main differences between these two countries are based on the type of operation and fishing intensity. Peru's artisanal squid fleet conducts fishing trips exceeding 200 nautical miles. However, the boats must return to port to unload the catch. In contrast,  China's industrial squid fleet can fish for extended periods, lasting up to 3 years, supported by subsidies for fuel and transshipment operations at sea. This type of fishing is accompanied by numerous cases of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and cases of forced labor.​​​

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​The SPRFMO squid working group has progressively implemented several Conservation and Management Measures (CMMs). Notable among these is the establishment of a minimum observer coverage of 5% (CMM Nº18-2020) and the limitation of fishing efforts by the Member States of China, Chinese Taipei, and the Republic of Korea (CMM Nº18-2023). However, this fishery continues to face significant challenges in monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS), which need immediate attention.​

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This report, prepared by Artisonal, aims to understand the changes in the dynamics of the distant water squid fleet in the southeast Pacific Ocean between 2018 and 2023. Combining public data from Global Fishing Watch (GFW), SPRFMO, and the Peruvian fishing authority, the Ministry of Production (PRODUCE), the results revealed that until 2020, the distant-water squid fleet (China, Chinese Taipei, and the Republic of Korea) constantly grew in its fishing effort, recording ~747,000 hours of fishing with ~623 active vessels. In the following years, the effort fluctuated between  ~400,000 and ~600,000 hours of fishing, with an average of  ~460 active vessels. Despite a decrease in active vessels, the number of encounters between support vessels and fishing vessels on the high seas grew by 104%, and the annual catches increased by 45% over the last six years. The data indicates that post-2020, a group of active vessels in the fishing grounds are operating continuously and for prolonged periods, which is considered a risk indicator of forced labor, according to the International Labor Organization (ILO).​​

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The Peruvian government has been known for being a reference in fishing policies within the Latin American region. It was the first country to implement a transparent  Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) and to enforce the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA) by strengthening the requirements of foreign fishing vessels seeking access to Peruvian ports and shipyards. In August 2020, the government reinforced these regulations through  Supreme Decree 016-2020-PRODUCE with a new requirement for the distant-water squid fleet, installing the Peruvian Vessel Monitoring System to maintain access to port and shipyard services. However, this measure was not well received by the flag States of the fleet, who preferred to exert pressure to relax the rule and find mechanisms to circumvent it and gain entry into  Peruvian ports. The decision of the squid fleet flag States to disregard Peru's new port regulations has caused some changes in the fleet's behavior and also a negative impact on the well-being of the crew.​​​

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​The analysis of time spent at sea determined that a squid vessel can fish, on average, between 1.5 to 2 years without having to enter the port, thanks to transshipments. However, between 2018 and 2019, half of the fleet began to show a slight decrease in time spent at sea as they started entering Peruvian ports more frequently (up to 308 entries in 2019). Unfortunately, despite Peru's introduction of new regulations against IUU in August 2020, the flag state governments resisted compliance, compelling the fleet to return to fishing for longer periods, up to 3 years. This condition progressively increased encounter events (transshipments) and annual catches, resulting in severe repercussions for working conditions. According to port inspection records, since 2020, there have been approximately ~37 cases of crew members disembarking in critical conditions and one death in Peruvian ports. The results indicate that the flag states of the distant-water squid fleet are unwilling to allow another government to monitor their fishing activities. Instead, they prefer to continue seeking ways to evade Peruvian regulations and increase the risk to crew members, thereby pushing towards inhumane working conditions.​

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The Peruvian government's main argument for strengthening regulations against IUU was based on the intense fishing activity of the foreign fleet along the 200 nautical miles of Peruvian waters, compounded by a history of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing linked to intentional turning off of the Automatic Identification System (AIS) to fish without authorization inside the Peruvian maritime domain. This suspicious behavior persists among foreign vessels that entered Peruvian ports in 2023. On the other hand, in the same year, around ~12 cases of Chinese vessels provided false information about the real purpose of their port entry. While most vessels requested to be entered for crew changes, they accessed Peruvian shipyards irregularly. According to the actual port regulations, installation and operation of the Peruvian vessel monitoring system (VMS) are prerequisites for accessing shipyard services. A condition that was not complied with, resulting in a major violation of the Peruvian government's fishery laws. Furthermore, the SPRFMO recognizes that the Port State can take effective measures against  IUU fishing and mandates that Member States and Cooperating Non-Contracting Parties (CNCPs) adhere to port conditions established by the coastal States (CMM Nº07-2022). ​​

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This report presents six recommendations to enhance the monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS) measures and establish minimum standards for decent work in the distant-water squid fleet that operates in the SPRFMO Convention Area. Additionally, the report provides recommendations to the Peruvian government for continuing to implement fishing policies that promote sustainability in the jumbo flying squid fishery of the Southeast Pacific Ocean.