China Accepts Negotiation With Ecuador For Fishing Fleet

China Accepts Direct Negotiation with Ecuador for Fishing Fleet

5 August 2020

A few minutes ago, Foreign Minister Luis Gallegos said that, in the early hours of the morning, China accepted a direct negotiation with Ecuador on the issue of fishing near the Galapagos Exclusive Zone (EEZ). Here the agreed points:

* China has ensured that it understands and respects Ecuadorian concerns and has recognized the Galapagos Islands as an important natural reserve in Ecuador, cultural and natural heritage of all humanity, said Gallegos, in the Economic Development Commission of the Assembly, this morning.

From 2020, all Chinese fishing boats would be on a fishing moratorium for several months (they propose September to November in the western high seas of the Galapaogos protection zone and this moratorium will cease operations).

China agrees that Ecuador supervise Chinese fishing vessels on the high seas. It requests that, if the Ecuadorian side has any indication of illegal fishing by the Chinese fishing fleet, it be reported to its government.

China will severely punish and with a policy of “zero tolerance” all Chinese vessels related to illegal fishing and the companies to which they belong.

Finally, there is a willingness to find an immediate permanent solution through diplomatic channels at the bilateral and multilateral level (both countries are members of the Regional Organization for Fisheries Management of the South Pacific RFMO -PS).