U.S. Fishing for Defense Tech to Protect International Waters

The Coast Guard and Navy are exploring new technology and partnerships to protect fisheries from Chinese theft.

Illegal, unreported and unregulated, or IUU, fishing is a growing problem across the world, but particularly in the seas traversed by Chinese ships, according to officials.

Advanced military technologies such as high-resolution radars, spy satellites and data-sharing software is needed to tackle the problem, experts said.

While Beijing has publicly talked about cracking down on illegal fishing, the nation has one of the worst records of state-sponsored fishing crimes in international waters, said Whitley Saumweber, director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Stephenson Ocean Security Project.