EJF warns Chinese squid fleet is driving crisis in the South East Pacific, revealing illegal fishing, wildlife killings and forced labour
EJF Investigation Uncovers Widespread Abuses at Sea
The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) has issued a stark warning about the escalating ecological and human rights crisis in the South East Pacific’s jumbo flying squid fishery.
The foundation’s latest investigation asserts that China’s distant‑water fleet, operating at unprecedented scale, is exploiting weak governance, poor transparency and regulatory loopholes across the region. Squid caught by vessels linked to China National Fisheries Corporation (CNFC) have been exported into markets in the US, EU and UK.
According to EJF, transparency failures within the fleet have enabled destructive practices to continue unchecked. More than half of interviewed crew reported physical abuse, and almost 60% said sharks were finned aboard their vessels, highlighting a systematic pattern of illegal and harmful activity.
Shark Finning, Seal Killings and Illegal Fishing Documented
The accompanying 56‑page report provides a detailed account of the abuses taking place across 60 Chinese‑flagged squid jiggers operating between 2020 and 2025. Investigators interviewed 81 Indonesian and Filipino crew, many of whom described the intentional killing of seals, false killer whales and dolphins. Some vessels were reported to kill up to 60 seals per voyage, often removing teeth as souvenirs. Sharks were routinely harpooned, finned and discarded, with testimony indicating these acts were sometimes carried out deliberately when squid catches were low.
The report also details repeated instances of unauthorised fishing inside the Exclusive Economic Zones of Peru, Chile and Ecuador. Vessel names were allegedly covered with tarpaulins or cardboard to evade detection, while AIS gaps and suspected identity spoofing were described as common evasive techniques. One crew member said his vessel was nearly intercepted by Argentinian authorities after entering prohibited waters.
A Chinese squid jigger. Image – EJF
Forced Labour and Dangers Faced by Crew
Human rights abuses were found to be widespread across the fleet. Crew reported 16‑hour workdays, minimal rest, expired life‑saving equipment, and prolonged periods at sea of up to two years. Document confiscation, wage withholding, debt bondage and deception during recruitment were described as routine. Workers also recounted violence from captains and senior crew, and the denial of medical treatment.
The investigation highlights the deaths of at least 41 crew members unloaded from Chinese vessels at Latin American ports between 2013 and 2023. Some crew reportedly died from untreated illnesses, while others perished under unclear or violent circumstances. In one case, a deceased crew member’s body was stored in a freezer before being disposed of at sea.
Adapted. Source: https://law.lclark.edu/live/news/51304-unregulated-fishing-explodes-spells-doom-for-jumbo
Regulation Failing to Keep Pace With Fleet Expansion
Despite claims by China that its distant‑water fleet is properly regulated, EJF’s findings show that neither Chinese law nor SPRFMO measures prohibit shark finning, nor do they protect vulnerable marine mammals captured by squid jiggers. The report states that the jumbo squid fishery remains effectively unmanaged: there are no catch limits, no meaningful bycatch restrictions and insufficient observer coverage.
At the same time, squid stocks in the region show signs of decline. Chilean assessments reveal catches in 2024 fell by 52%, while China’s own data shows catch‑per‑unit‑effort dropping to its lowest level in a decade despite rising fishing effort.
Calls for Immediate Regional and Market‑State Action
EJF is calling on SPRFMO member states to adopt science‑based catch limits, strengthen monitoring and control, restrict at‑sea trans‑shipments and enforce transparency measures to prevent illegally caught squid from entering global markets. Coastal states are encouraged to tighten port controls to prevent the emergence of “ports of convenience”, particularly following the sharp increase in Chinese vessel visits to Chile in 2025.
The organisation warns that without urgent intervention, the world’s most important squid fishery faces the risk of ecological collapse, with severe implications for regional livelihoods and global seafood supply chains.
