US coastguard rejects Chinese claim it illegally boarded fishing vessels in Pacific: ‘host nations invite us’

The United States’ coastguard has rejected feedback by a Chinese language diplomat that its current boardings of Chinese language fishing boats within the Pacific alongside native police are unlawful, saying the joint patrols are on the behest of Pacific nations to guard coastal fisheries.

Six Chinese language fishing boats had been reportedly discovered to be violating Vanuatu’s fisheries legislation final month after being inspected by native police who had been on board the primary US Coast Guard boat to patrol the waters of the Pacific island nation.

The US Coast Guard and Kiribati police additionally boarded two Chinese language fishing boats throughout a patrol in February, the primary joint patrol in a decade, however discovered no points aboard.

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China’s Ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong mentioned in a letter circulated by the Chinese language embassy on Friday using “shiprider” agreements between the US and Vanuatu, Kiribati and Papua New Guinea to “perform legislation enforcement actions in opposition to China’s fishing vessels” was a violation of worldwide legislation.

Within the letter, Wang claimed the agreements usually are not binding on China’s fishing fleet.

“China is just not obliged to just accept the legislation enforcement of nations aside from coastal states for fishing actions of their unique financial zones,” the letter mentioned.

A boarding workforce from US Coast Guard cutter Harriet Lane accompanied by a Vanuatu police officer discuss to a member of crew on a fishing vessel within the South Pacific Ocean in February. Picture: US Coast Guard Pacific Space/Handout

US coastguard Rear Admiral Michael Day on Wednesday mentioned the Chinese language ambassador’s assertion was inaccurate and the bilateral shiprider agreements complied with worldwide legislation.

“We do these boardings on the behest of these host nations who invite us to board, to work with them collaboratively in defending their unique financial zones,” he mentioned at a press convention in Honolulu to mark the return of the US Coast Guard cutter Harriet Lane after its Pacific islands patrol.

“A free and open Indo-Pacific is based upon the next of worldwide guidelines and norms and legal guidelines, and I’m joyful to say the coastguard is complying with all worldwide legislation and these are authorized boardings.”

A US Coast Guard small boat crew waits for Vanuatu fishery department and police officials to conduct a boarding of a fishing boat in the Pacific nation’s exclusive economic zone in February. Photo: US Coast Guard Pacific Area/Handout — A US Coast Guard small boat crew waits for Vanuatu fishery division and police officers to conduct a boarding of a fishing boat within the Pacific nation’s unique financial zone in February. Picture: US Coast Guard Pacific Space/Handout

Commander Nicole Tesoniero mentioned shiprider agreements with Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea had resulted in 23 boardings of fishing boats working within the “far reaches of the respective nations’ unique financial zones”, with 12 violations discovered by native police.

“The focusing on of vessels inside the unique financial zones in addition to the enforcement actions had been all dictated by our companions,” she mentioned.

Australia, New Zealand and Britain have additionally stepped up navy patrols for unlawful fishing in partnership with Pacific islands nations, a lot of whom do not need militaries or boats to observe coastal waters and unique financial zones spanning tens of millions of kilometres.

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