{"id":60131259,"date":"2026-05-05T16:41:13","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T15:41:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/?post_type=news_digest&p=60131259"},"modified":"2026-05-05T16:41:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T15:41:18","slug":"rising-fuel-costs-hit-chinese-distant-water-fisheries","status":"publish","type":"news_digest","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/digest\/rising-fuel-costs-hit-chinese-distant-water-fisheries\/","title":{"rendered":"Rising fuel costs hit Chinese distant-water fisheries"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Recent increases in global oil prices driven by conflict in the Gulf are hurting the controversial distant-water fishing sector, and reigniting discussions<\/a> around the transition to greener fuels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fuel is a huge cost for fishing boats. For distant water fleets that travel far from their home ports, increases can have a massive impact on profitability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to data<\/a> released by the China Distant-Water Fisheries Association, fuel prices in major fishing grounds have risen by 40-50% since the US and Israel launched major combat operations against Iran in February. At the same time, the transportation fees set by shipping companies are creeping up, from around RMB 2,000 per tonne to RMB 2,500. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The association recently held a meeting<\/a> in the city of Zhoushan on China\u2019s east coast to discuss the issue. Industry representatives noted offshore refuelling services have long been dominated by a small number of overseas suppliers. They called for domestic oil companies to build a more \u201csecure and self-reliant\u201d system. Participants also urged the government to offer temporary support to help offset the impact of fuel prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While fishers are seeking more stable fossil fuel prices in the near term, entirely different fuels may offer an alternative future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Late last year, a senior executive in the marine division of China\u2019s CATL, the world\u2019s largest battery maker, predicted<\/a> transoceanic electric vessels could become viable within three years. The company has been expanding its presence in ship electrification, and already deployed battery systems on around 900<\/a> comparatively smaller vessels \u2013 those operating in coastal, port and inland waterway areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CATL chairman Robin Zeng has previously described<\/a> the advances made to both the energy density and lifecycle performance of its lithium iron phosphate batteries. Such developments could be key to long-distance electric maritime travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond fuel costs, industry representatives at the Zhoushan meeting also highlighted rising compliance pressures, including \u201chigher international obligations and stricter domestic and overseas regulatory enforcement\u201d. China operates the world\u2019s largest distant-water fishing fleet, and its activities have a significant impact on marine ecosystems. As such, the country\u2019s compliance challenges relate to issues such as illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, resource overexploitation, underreported catches, competition with local fisheries, and the industry\u2019s impact upon coastal communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China has accepted the World Trade Organization\u2019s Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, which aims to curb harmful subsidies linked to illegal and excessive fishing. The country has also ratified the Port State Measures Agreement, which seeks to prevent IUU fishing from entering supply chains, by establishing port inspections and catch traceability. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As regulatory requirements tighten, policy adjustments will be needed to support the sector\u2019s transition. A 2024 report<\/a> by a non-profit financial think-tank suggested Chinese subsidy reforms, which could shift support for high risk high-seas fishing to more compliant and sustainable operations instead. It also recommends improving transparency, and linking compliance performance to policy incentives such as  quotas. The authors say this would create a more stable operating environment for responsible fishers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Recent increases in global oil prices driven by conflict in the Gulf are hurting the controversial distant-water fishing sector, and reigniting discussions around the transition to greener fuels. Fuel is a huge cost for fishing boats. For distant water fleets that travel far from their home ports, increases can have a massive impact on profitability. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":60006658,"template":"","categories":[50039901],"tags":[545,547],"country":[20000110],"digest-collection":[50039911,50039912],"class_list":["post-60131259","news_digest","type-news_digest","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ocean","tag-fisheries","tag-fossil-fuels","country-china"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nRising fuel costs hit Chinese distant-water fisheries | Dialogue Earth<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/digest\/rising-fuel-costs-hit-chinese-distant-water-fisheries\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Rising fuel costs hit Chinese distant-water fisheries\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Recent increases in global oil prices driven by conflict in the Gulf are hurting the controversial distant-water fishing sector, and reigniting discussions around the transition to greener fuels. 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