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Miami Herald
03-06-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
China Dominates ‘Dark' Network Behind Global Fishing Crisis
A new report exposes the sophisticated networks propping up Chinese squid fleets accused of illegal fishing off South America. These activities-often carried out with Automatic Identification System (AIS) trackers turned off, or "dark"-are undercutting local fishers who depend on regional marine resources for their livelihoods, according to Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit C4ADS. The rising demand for seafood and dwindling local stocks have pushed fishing fleets farther from home. The vessels now operate in international waters for months-even years-at a time, virtually unmonitored, increasing the risk of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and labor abuses. China and Taiwan account for about 60 percent of distant-water fishing, and Chinese vessels in particular have faced growing scrutiny for allegedly operating illegally within South American exclusive economic zones, prompting rising grassroots pressure to tighten enforcement and close regulatory loopholes. Newsweek reached out to the Chinese embassies in Paraguay and Uruguay with emailed requests for comment. The abundant stocks of jumbo flying squid and Argentine shortfin squid have attracted distant-water fishing fleets to the coasts of South America. A report released Tuesday by the C4Dfound that 69 percent of squid jiggers operating off the Pacific and Atlantic coasts share ownership with ships allegedly involved in illicit activities, or vessels of concern. While these operations are theoretically under the oversight of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization (SPRFMO), enforcement is often spotty. The situation is even more tenuous on the Atlantic coast, which lacks a comparable fisheries management framework. Monitoring these vessels is challenging because of extended periods between port calls. Complicating matters further are sophisticated networks of onshore and offshore actors who facilitate illicit operations by obscuring catch data, obfuscating labor abuses, and lobbying to maintain lax regulations, according to C4ADS. A variety of offshore support vessels is crucial to sustaining these industrial squid fishing operations over extended periods. Refrigerated cargo ships, or "reefers," transfer catches, equipment, supplies and crew between vessels, allowing fishing ships to cut down on port visits, where they may be subject to inspections, and obscure the origin of hauls. Reefers then typically offload catches at ports in states that are not party to the Port State Measures Agreement, a treaty aimed at blocking illegal fishing vessels from offloading their harvest. Enforcement is further hindered by relatively lax regulations. Unlike other distant-water fishers restricted to interacting with SPRFMO-authorized vessels, squid jiggers are only required to report transshipments within 30 days and provide operational details quarterly. Chinese firms have a significant presence in this sector. Nearly 90 percent of transshipment events involving distant-water squid jiggers were linked to Chinese-owned reefers, with just 15 ships accounting for 72 percent of these interactions. All 15 operated under flags of convenience, registering under foreign nations in order to mask Chinese ownership and reduce oversight. Tankers also play a key role by refueling these ships and allowing them to remain at sea for longer periods. Unlike reefers, tankers are typically not required to report encounters with squid jiggers. Additionally, owners of tankers supplying fuel to squid fishers are not mandated to register these vessels within fleets that directly contact fishing vessels, creating a regulatory gap that enables support with a minimal record of activities. Support vessels referred to as "floating offshore fishery bases" by C4ADS also bolster these operations. These are squid jiggers that have adopted multifunctional roles, providing logistics, operational coordination and limited medical care. These ships not only extend time at sea but also help conceal labor abuses. While hospital ships have traditionally supported distant-water fishing, the report focuses on those registered solely as fishing vessels, whose activities extend beyond medical aid. While much of the squid fleet's activity plays out at sea, critical support also comes from land. Two key land-based sectors help sustain these operations, sometimes enabling illicit behavior in the process. Port agents act as an important link between vessels and local authorities, managing logistics and relaying operational details. Yet the same access that facilitates oversight can also be used to shield questionable practices from government scrutiny, C4ADS wrote. Insurance providers also play a role. Many underwrite high-risk vessels despite ties to IUU fishing, forced labor or sanctions violations-offering a financial cushion that helps these operations continue. Insurance claims themselves can sometimes offer a clearer picture of crew movement and health than data from vessel tracking systems, per the report. Sara Nix, C4ADS natural resource security analyst, told Newsweek: "The distant water squid fleet relies on a global network of enablers, from port agents to tankers, that allow operations to continue largely unchecked. "What's shifting the tide is growing grassroots pressure, especially in Peru and Argentina, where squid is vital to food security and local economies. "As squid landings decline, whether due to climatic variations like El Niño, overfishing, or IUU activity, frustration is mounting. Local fishers and civic groups are increasingly demanding stronger oversight, not just of foreign vessels but of the opaque systems that enable them to operate with impunity." Related Articles China Alarms US Ally in Disputed WatersUS Ally Sends Strong Warning to ChinaMap Tracks Chinese Aircraft Carrier Near US AlliesChina Says US Violated Trade Truce With Three Moves 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
03-06-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
China Dominates 'Dark' Network Behind Global Fishing Crisis
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A new report exposes the sophisticated networks propping up Chinese squid fleets accused of illegal fishing off South America. These activities—often carried out with Automatic Identification System (AIS) trackers turned off, or "dark"—are undercutting local fishers who depend on regional marine resources for their livelihoods, according to Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit C4ADS. Illegal, Unreported And Unregulated The rising demand for seafood and dwindling local stocks have pushed fishing fleets farther from home. The vessels now operate in international waters for months—even years—at a time, virtually unmonitored, increasing the risk of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and labor abuses. China and Taiwan account for about 60 percent of distant-water fishing, and Chinese vessels in particular have faced growing scrutiny for allegedly operating illegally within South American exclusive economic zones, prompting rising grassroots pressure to tighten enforcement and close regulatory loopholes. Newsweek reached out to the Chinese embassies in Paraguay and Uruguay with emailed requests for comment. Close-up shot of the backs of several fishing trawlers in Hong Kong on February 6, 2019. Close-up shot of the backs of several fishing trawlers in Hong Kong on February 6, 2019. StephenWhat To Know The abundant stocks of jumbo flying squid and Argentine shortfin squid have attracted distant-water fishing fleets to the coasts of South America. A report released Tuesday by the C4Dfound that 69 percent of squid jiggers operating off the Pacific and Atlantic coasts share ownership with ships allegedly involved in illicit activities, or vessels of concern. While these operations are theoretically under the oversight of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization (SPRFMO), enforcement is often spotty. The situation is even more tenuous on the Atlantic coast, which lacks a comparable fisheries management framework. Monitoring these vessels is challenging because of extended periods between port calls. Complicating matters further are sophisticated networks of onshore and offshore actors who facilitate illicit operations by obscuring catch data, obfuscating labor abuses, and lobbying to maintain lax regulations, according to C4ADS. Offshore Support A variety of offshore support vessels is crucial to sustaining these industrial squid fishing operations over extended periods. Refrigerated cargo ships, or "reefers," transfer catches, equipment, supplies and crew between vessels, allowing fishing ships to cut down on port visits, where they may be subject to inspections, and obscure the origin of hauls. Reefers then typically offload catches at ports in states that are not party to the Port State Measures Agreement, a treaty aimed at blocking illegal fishing vessels from offloading their harvest. Enforcement is further hindered by relatively lax regulations. Unlike other distant-water fishers restricted to interacting with SPRFMO-authorized vessels, squid jiggers are only required to report transshipments within 30 days and provide operational details quarterly. Chinese firms have a significant presence in this sector. Nearly 90 percent of transshipment events involving distant-water squid jiggers were linked to Chinese-owned reefers, with just 15 ships accounting for 72 percent of these interactions. All 15 operated under flags of convenience, registering under foreign nations in order to mask Chinese ownership and reduce oversight. Tankers also play a key role by refueling these ships and allowing them to remain at sea for longer periods. Unlike reefers, tankers are typically not required to report encounters with squid jiggers. Additionally, owners of tankers supplying fuel to squid fishers are not mandated to register these vessels within fleets that directly contact fishing vessels, creating a regulatory gap that enables support with a minimal record of activities. Support vessels referred to as "floating offshore fishery bases" by C4ADS also bolster these operations. These are squid jiggers that have adopted multifunctional roles, providing logistics, operational coordination and limited medical care. These ships not only extend time at sea but also help conceal labor abuses. While hospital ships have traditionally supported distant-water fishing, the report focuses on those registered solely as fishing vessels, whose activities extend beyond medical aid. Onshore Support While much of the squid fleet's activity plays out at sea, critical support also comes from land. Two key land-based sectors help sustain these operations, sometimes enabling illicit behavior in the process. Port agents act as an important link between vessels and local authorities, managing logistics and relaying operational details. Yet the same access that facilitates oversight can also be used to shield questionable practices from government scrutiny, C4ADS wrote. Insurance providers also play a role. Many underwrite high-risk vessels despite ties to IUU fishing, forced labor or sanctions violations—offering a financial cushion that helps these operations continue. Insurance claims themselves can sometimes offer a clearer picture of crew movement and health than data from vessel tracking systems, per the report. What People Are Saying Sara Nix, C4ADS natural resource security analyst, told Newsweek: "The distant water squid fleet relies on a global network of enablers, from port agents to tankers, that allow operations to continue largely unchecked. "What's shifting the tide is growing grassroots pressure, especially in Peru and Argentina, where squid is vital to food security and local economies. "As squid landings decline, whether due to climatic variations like El Niño, overfishing, or IUU activity, frustration is mounting. Local fishers and civic groups are increasingly demanding stronger oversight, not just of foreign vessels but of the opaque systems that enable them to operate with impunity."
USA Today
14-02-2025
- USA Today
David E.A. Johnson: Evangelizing Hybrid Intelligence to Combat Global Security Threats
Kody Boye Contributor Hear this story For over 15 years, David E.A. Johnson dedicated his career to solving some of the world's most complex security challenges driven by criminal networks. In his time as the Executive Director of C4ADS (Center for Advanced Defense Studies), a nonprofit organization that combats global security threats, Johnson grew the center from two employees into a globally recognized think tank that has confronted countless international threats. He has stepped down from his role at C4ADS to forge a new path in the global security ecosystem. A visionary change leader, David Johnson is also on the boards of the Afghanistan International Business Council and the Indo-Pacific Counterproliferation Initiative. He is also on the advisory boards of the Special Operations Association of America and Rescue Global. Having published several papers on the matters of open-sourced, hybrid, and high-context intelligence, he presented the value of impact networks at the recent GSOF Indo-Pacific Irregular Warfare Symposium in Hawaii. Johnson's approach to difficult problems revolves around harnessing the collaborative power of human intelligence and technology (like artificial intelligence) to 'constructively disrupt' current ineffective, bureaucratic efforts. 'Some see AI as a security threat,' he explains. 'However, it's a tool. When properly combined with human ingenuity to enable the human to teach the AI and the AI to teach the human in a 'hybrid intelligence,' it can empower individuals to tackle highly complex challenges.' His journey to this conclusion starts at West Point in his military career. Commissioned in 1984, he spent 24 years cultivating a sense of duty that would come to define the rest of his life. His time in the US Army Special Forces cemented his duty of care, a life mission that comes from the Green Berets' motto: De Oppresso Liber ('to free the oppressed'). Johnson's service, spanning six conflicts and two wars, shaped his understanding of global systems and their vulnerabilities. This foundation drove his work with C4ADS, where he embraced the idea that geography and sovereignty are becoming increasingly less relevant in the fight for peace. 'There are billions of bytes and people flowing across borders, states are just the terrain across which social networks compete either legitimately or illegitimately. And criminal networks understand that being successful means moving their value from the illegal world to the legal one. This means that they leave a trail in transportation, communications, and finance systems, visible to anyone who knows where to look,' he explains. To combat the threat that these globalized illicit actors pose to peace and security, C4ADS built a team of talented young analysts, representing some of the brightest minds funneled from around the world. The nonprofit, which has received the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar, has developed state-of-the-art tools for large-scale data lakes and optimizing intelligence techniques in publicly available information. This allows them to collaborate across industries, governments, and NGOs— and manage the delicate relationships they must maintain to engineer real impact in the lives of those affected by insecurity. All this work empowers those seeking to fight criminal networks and it originates in the organization's leveraging of publicly available information. 'Awareness is not an impact,' as Johnson says. 'We're seeking to shape this globalized world we're in, to ensure that it's secure and prosperous for an open, pluralistic society.' After 15 years in his role at C4ADS, even as the nonprofit bloomed in its impact, late last year, Johnson made the difficult decision to step down. 'It was time,' he says. 'Varun Vira is continuing to push the mission forward as C4ADS' Executive Director. This enables me to build impact networks that will scale that mission.' He looks forward to uniting the many stakeholders of global peace and the systemic threats to maintaining it. His work is grounded in a three-layer model developed during his time at C4ADS: data management, analysis, and requirements. 'It's not just about finding the bad guys,' Johnson explains. 'It's about closing systemic holes and shaping the ecosystem for long-term impact.' Through building impact networks with private corporations, governments, and other NGOs, Johnson aims to shape an environment that sustains the process of surveillance, due diligence, and accountability. 'We need both a carrot and a stick. It is not enough to simply punish bad guys; we need to create opportunities for them to make their money legitimately.' A central theme of his concept is to empower the private and civil sectors to drive innovation from the bottom up. By working by, with, and through others and developing tools tailored to helping people solve global security challenges, Johnson aims to open access to the power of hybrid intelligence. David E.A. Johnson continues to disrupt the status quo of acquiescent information systems that lets global threats fall through the cracks and empower a new generation of impact-driven intelligence. 'The oath I took to defend the Constitution of the United States didn't end with me taking off the uniform. We're all here to create motion, synchronize around our strengths, and take what the world gives us and make something of it.'
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
China's control over 75% of Indonesia's nickel capacity raises concerns
Chinese companies currently control 75% of Indonesia's nickel refining capacity, raising concerns about supply chain resilience, according to a report by US-based global security non-profit the Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS). The ownership by Chinese companies can potentially impact global supply chains for the critical component used in electric vehicle (EV) batteries, according to the report. Global demand for nickel is expected to surge from around three million tonnes (mt) in 2023 to between 5mt and 6mt by 2040, primarily due to the expansion of clean energy technologies. In 2023, Indonesia and China together produced 65% of the world's refined nickel. From 2020 to 2023, Indonesia's portion of the worldwide refined nickel market increased from 23% to 27%, primarily as a result of raw nickel export bans implemented in 2014 and 2020. However, much of this capacity is foreign-owned, with 33 companies holding Indonesia's 8mt refining capacity. Shareholder overlap tracing revealed that Chinese companies control around three-quarters of this smelting capacity as of 2023. The report found that Tsingshan Holding Group and Jiangsu Delong Nickel Industry, two Chinese companies, account for more than 70% of Indonesia's refining capacity as of 2023. This ownership concentration raises concerns about industry dominance. Moreover, by 2030, Indonesia is projected to account for 44% of global refined nickel production. "As Indonesia aims to use the nickel industry for economic growth, this substantial foreign influence could limit its ability to control and shape the industry for its benefit," the report added. The dominance of Chinese companies in this sector places US and European automakers at a competitive disadvantage in the global EV market, especially amid increasingly restrictive trade policies with China, the report said. In an effort to make Indonesian nickel more accessible to the US market, Chinese companies have approached Indonesian and South Korean companies for potential partnerships to reduce their stakes in smelters, reported Reuters. Tsingshan has begun selling stakes in some of its smelters, including a 30% share of PT Jiu Long Metal Industry to Indonesian state miner Aneka Tambang in October. Indonesian Mining Minister Bahlil Lahadalia stated last month that President Prabowo Subianto has formed a task force to develop the downstream mineral industry through domestic financing, aiming to "gradually reduce the perception that foreigners got the most benefits", according to Reuters. "China's control over 75% of Indonesia's nickel capacity raises concerns" was originally created and published by Mining Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chinese firms control around 75% of Indonesian nickel capacity, report finds
JAKARTA (Reuters) - Chinese firms control about 75% of Indonesia's nickel refining capacity, raising concern over supply chain control and environmental risks, Washington-based global security nonprofit C4ADS has said in a report. According to the report, Indonesia's 8 million metric ton refining capacity was distributed across 33 companies, but ownership tracing showed shareholder overlap, and ultimately Chinese companies controlled about three-quarters of smelting capacity as of 2023. "As Indonesia aims to use the nickel industry for economic growth, this substantial foreign influence could limit its ability to control and shape the industry for its benefit," said the report, released on Tuesday. The reliance on Chinese-controlled nickel production also places U.S. and European automakers at a competitive disadvantage in the global EV market amid increasingly restrictive policies against trade with China, the report said. Nickel is a key battery component. Indonesia's mining ministry did not immediately comment. An Indonesian official said last year that Chinese companies were approaching Indonesian and South Korean firms for potential partnerships to reduce their stakes in smelters and make their product more accessible to the U.S. market. President Prabowo Subianto formed a task force to develop the downstream mineral industry with domestic financing to "gradually reduce perception that foreigners got the most benefits," Mining Minister Bahlil Lahadalia said last month. The C4ADS report found that two Chinese companies, Tsingshan Holding Group and Jiangsu Delong Nickel Industry Co Ltd, accounted for more than 70% of Indonesia's refining capacity as of 2023. The two were among the earliest investors when Indonesia started a push for domestic processing of nickel ore - a move that has made it the world's dominant producer. Last year, a court in Central Sulawesi sentenced two workers at Indonesia Tsingshan Stainless Steel to seven months jail for negligence that led to a fire and deaths at a Tsingshan facility in December 2023. In early 2023, two workers were killed in clashes at the PT Gunbuster Nickel Industry smelter in North Morowali owned by Jiangsu Delong Nickel Industry. Tsingshan's unit Eternal Tsingshan and Jiangsu Delong's joint-venture Obsidian Stainless Steel did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Jiangsu Delong could not immediately be reached for comment. Tsingshan has been selling stakes in some of its smelters, including an October deal with Indonesian state miner Aneka Tambang for 30% of PT Jiu Long Metal Industry. Sign in to access your portfolio
