The Africa Defense Forum (ADF) magazine, published by the US Africa Command, posted on 15 July 2025 an article titled "Indian Ocean Nations Grapple with Illegal Chinese Fishing Trawlers."
China has the largest distant water fishing fleet in the world. According to the World Wildlife Fund, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, and South Africa lost up to $142 million annually between 2015 and 2021 as a result of illegal fishing of shrimp, tuna, at least fifty-six species of sharks and rays and a variety of reef fish. The Chinese fleet is the worst illegal fishing offender.
