US Committee Labels China Largest Perpetrator of Illegal Fishing

On January 23, 2026, U.S. lawmakers released an investigation accusing China of being the world’s largest perpetrator of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The report was issued by leaders of the U.S. Select Committee on China and the House Homeland Security Committee’s Transportation and Maritime Security Subcommittee.

The investigation states that China commands the largest distant-water fishing fleet, estimated at over 16,000 vessels, and alleges that Chinese fishing activities are used to intimidate other nations, control portions of the global food supply, and contribute to the depletion of fisheries around the world. The report calls for increased international monitoring and enforcement of maritime fishing laws.