Correspondence
Email sent to the contact address for the Shidao Group.
The email said that the group's reefer Lu Rong Yuan Yu Yun 177 had transshipped with squid jiggers with a history of illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing and crew abuses, and asked for comment.
The Shidao Group replied by email, saying that the company’s reefer, Lu Rong Yuan Yu Yun 177, is a legal fishing vessel registered with SPRFMO, and that checks on the company’s partners are carried out by the relevant Chinese fishery administration department. The statement added: “All our transshipment activities are carried out after we have submitted a declaration in advance on the website of the fishery administration department and obtained approval. Regarding fishing vessels that have been reported by the fishery administration department as having violated regulations, we are resolute about not conducting transshipment with them. For vessels about which the fishery administration department has not made a report or raised any suspicions, we recognise them as legal vessels and conduct transshipment with them.” The Shidao Group statement closed: “In future, we will increase communication and inquiries with the fishery administration department, continue to strictly abide by the bottom lines of laws and industry rules, and will not conduct transshipment with problematic fishing vessels.”