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Description

  • From July-September 2025, fishing activity in the SOUTHCOM AOR concentrated along the high seas adjacent to the EEZs of Peru, Ecuador, and Argentina, with additional clusters near the Galápagos Islands and Rapa Nui. High levels of ship-to-ship (STS) meetings and dark activity were observed in these areas, some overlapping with known Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Chinese-flagged vessels accounted for the large majority of activities.
  • Three fishing vessels, SHUN ZE 729, HANYI 18, and HANYI 19, exhibited strong behavioral indicators for Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing practices, including dark activity, forced labor, and transshipments. The FU YANG 1 and FU YANG 3, both Vanuatu-flagged but Chinese-owned, also displayed high-risk behaviors near Argentina’s EEZ.
  • Three tankers, OCEAN ACE, HAI ZHI RUN 7, and HUI ZE LENG YUN 16, conducted the most STS meetings in the quarter, providing logistical support to suspected IUU fishing vessels in the Southeast Pacific. These tankers, flagged to Panama and China, are owned by firms linked to the Chinese distant-water fleet and remain flagged as High Risk by Windward’s risk models.
  • Three vessels, ZHOU JU 1, JULIA D, and DANIELA, were identified for the highest number of dark activities. The ZHOU JU 1, owned by Zhoushan Ningtai Ocean Fish, has been repeatedly linked to IUU fishing and labor abuse in South America. The JULIA D, a Costa Rica-flagged vessel, has prior open-source records of IUU tuna discards, while the DANIELA, a U.S.-flagged vessel, operated for extended periods without AIS transmission across the Peru–Kiribati corridor.

Publication Date

10-11-2025

Publisher

Florida International University

City

Miami

Quarterly IUU Fishing Insights: July-September 2025

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