China Uses Satellites to Communicate with Fishing Vessels in Disputed Waters

Chinatopix

29 July 2014

Chinese authorities encourage fishermen in Hainan to venture out to disputed waters by installing communication satellites on their boats and providing them with fuel subsidies for the trips.

The provision of satellites and fuel subsidies is a sign that China is beefing up support for its local fishermen who are heading further into Southeast Asia to find new fishing areas as its resources back home grow increasingly scarce. This issue puts Chinese fishing vessels on the spotlight amid one of Asia’s most controversial issues, Reuters reported.

China recently became more assertive in the South China Sea in its bid to establish its ownership claims on several disputed areas and to increase its gas and oil output. However, experts said one of the main reasons for this assertiveness is the depleted supply of seafood to the Chinese market.

… Zhang Hongzhou, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies associate research fellow, agreed that the main cause of the tensions over territorial disputes is the “competition for fishing resources.”

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