Madagascar fishermen vs Chinese trawlers
- 5 years ago
When six Chinese fishing trawlers with huge nets arrived off the coast of Madagascar in 2017, local fishermen were already struggling with foreign competition for the island nation’s precarious marine resources.
In a bid to increase control of those resources, a private Madagascar business agency signed a 10-year US$2.7 billion fishing deal with Chinese investors in September 2018. The deal called for the Chinese to supply 330 boats to local fishermen for free — increasing production capacity.
But some concern groups worry about environmental impact as well as how local fishermen will benefit from a deal which allows some of the fish to be sold locally and “surplus” sold to the Chinese investors at an “undisclosed price”.
In a bid to increase control of those resources, a private Madagascar business agency signed a 10-year US$2.7 billion fishing deal with Chinese investors in September 2018. The deal called for the Chinese to supply 330 boats to local fishermen for free — increasing production capacity.
But some concern groups worry about environmental impact as well as how local fishermen will benefit from a deal which allows some of the fish to be sold locally and “surplus” sold to the Chinese investors at an “undisclosed price”.