China boasts one of the world’s largest fishing industries, a sector transformed by cutting-edge technologies since 2018. These advancements influence both navigational safety and environmental sustainability, presenting a mix of opportunities and challenges. Satellite systems and monitoring tools now guide vessels with precision, while green innovations aim to lessen ecological harm. Yet, questions linger: how do these changes affect the seas and shores beyond China? This paper examines the impact of new technologies onboard Chinese fishing vessels, focusing on safety at sea and environmental consequences, with comparisons to fishing practices along West Africa’s coastal ports.

Advances in Navigational Safety

Modern tools have bolstered safety for China’s fishing fleet. The BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) delivers exact positioning, cutting the risk of collisions in busy waters. A study from 2025 highlights its value in foggy conditions, a common hazard for fishers (Wang, Liu and Zhang, 2025). Likewise, Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) use edge computing to spot issues instantly, allowing quick action against threats like storms or equipment failure (Chen, Zhang and Li, 2021). With China’s fleet numbering up to 564,000 vessels, as reported by the FAO in 2023, such systems prove essential, particularly in crowded coastal zones.

Safety gains extend beyond technology alone. Regulations now mandate larger vessels to carry Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems (ECDIS), enhancing route planning and hazard avoidance (FAO, 2024). Captain Li Wei, a veteran fisher from Fujian, recalls how BDS once guided his crew through a dense fog bank, averting disaster. These improvements matter greatly, given the fleet’s scale and the harsh conditions it often faces.

Environmental Effects: A Double-Edged Sword

While safety rises, environmental pressures grow. BDS and VMS enable vessels to fish farther and longer, intensifying strain on marine life. Carrier vessels, equipped with refrigerated holds and linked by satellite communication, collect catches at sea, reducing port stops (European Parliament, 2023). This efficiency, however, fuels overfishing, a concern echoed globally as fish stocks dwindle. In 2022, China’s seafood production hit 40% of the world’s total, yet this growth burdens ecosystems (FAO, 2024).

On the flip side, green technologies offer hope. Electric and gas-powered vessels cut emissions, aligning with China’s 2030 carbon goals (State Council, 2021). Shandong province leads here, developing eco-friendly deep-sea gear like the Genghai No. 1 platform (Wang et al., 2022). Still, aquaculture’s rapid rise—up 4.4% from 2020 to 2022—sparks worries about water pollution and habitat loss along China’s coasts (FAO, 2024). Can technology truly balance profit with planet?

Comparing China to West Africa’s Coastal Ports

Fishing practices off West Africa’s coast offer a striking contrast to China’s high-tech approach. Along ports like Dakar and Abidjan, small-scale fishers dominate, relying on wooden boats and basic GPS, if any. China’s fleet, with its BDS precision, avoids collisions far better than West Africa’s often unregulated waters, where accidents remain common. A 2021 report notes frequent vessel groundings off Senegal due to poor navigation aids (Greenpeace, 2021). However, both regions face overfishing woes, though China’s tech-driven efficiency amplifies its impact.

Environmental outcomes differ too. West Africa’s artisanal fishers exert less pressure per vessel, yet illegal foreign fleets—including some Chinese—exploit lax oversight, depleting stocks (European Parliament, 2023). China’s green tech, like electric engines, outpaces West Africa’s reliance on diesel, cutting emissions where African ports see rising pollution. Conversely, China’s aquaculture boom contrasts with West Africa’s limited inland farming, sparing the latter’s coastal waters from similar habitat strain. These differences highlight technology’s role in scaling both solutions and problems.

Regional Efforts and Policy in China

Provinces like Shandong and Guangxi drive China’s tech push. Shandong’s plans include sustainable fishery tools, holding a 78% share in deep-water equipment by 2022 (Shandong Government, 2022). Guangxi focuses on smart cages for deep-sea farming, boosting output while aiming to curb wild stock pressure (Guangxi Government, 2021). Policy backs this shift, with the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) stressing eco-friendly growth. Yet, gaps persist—2023’s updated Marine Environmental Protection Law struggles to enforce limits on overfishing (Li and Zhou, 2023).

Compare this to West Africa, where policy lags. Ports like Lagos lack cohesive tech investment, and regional agreements falter against illegal fishing. China’s VMS tracks vessels tightly, while West Africa’s monitoring remains spotty, leaving enforcement weak (Greenpeace, 2021). Both regions grapple with sustainability, but China’s resources and regulations give it an edge—though not without costs.

Balancing Act: Safety vs. Sustainability

The evidence paints a complex picture. Safety thrives with BDS and VMS, reducing risks for China’s massive fleet. A single avoided collision can save dozens of lives, a reality West Africa’s fishers rarely enjoy. Yet, environmental harm looms large. Extended operations, enabled by technology, push fish stocks to the brink, a shared challenge with West Africa, though China’s scale magnifies the effect (European Parliament, 2023).

Green innovations hint at progress, but their reach stays small. Electric vessels number in the hundreds, not thousands, limiting their impact against a fleet of over half a million (FAO, 2024). Aquaculture, while easing wild stock pressure, dirties coastal waters—a problem West Africa largely avoids. The question remains: can policy keep pace with technology to protect both people and nature?

Conclusion

New technologies onboard Chinese fishing vessels bring clear gains in navigational safety, thanks to tools like BDS and VMS. However, they also deepen environmental strain, from overfishing to habitat damage, despite green efforts. Compared to West Africa’s simpler, less regulated ports, China’s tech edge boosts safety but heightens ecological risks. Robust policies must bridge this gap, ensuring innovations safeguard crews without costing the seas. Future steps should weigh these trade-offs, learning from global contrasts to shape a sustainable path.

References

• Chen, J., Zhang, W. and Li, S. (2021) ‘Research on real-time anomaly detection of fishing vessels in a marine edge computing environment’, Mobile Information Systems, 2021, pp. 1–12. Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2021/5598988 (Accessed: 4 April 2025).
• European Parliament (2023) Report on the implications of Chinese fishing operations on EU fisheries and the way forward (A9-0282/2023). Brussels: European Parliament. Available at: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/A-9-2023-0282_EN.html (Accessed: 4 April 2025).
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (2024) FAO report: Global fisheries and aquaculture production reaches a new record high. Rome: FAO. Available at: https://www.fao.org/newsroom/detail/fao-report-global-fisheries-and-aquaculture-production-reaches-a-new-record-high/en (Accessed: 4 April 2025).
• Greenpeace (2021) Fishing in the dark: How illegal fishing threatens West Africa’s coasts. Amsterdam: Greenpeace International. Available at: https://www.greenpeace.org/international/report/fishing-in-the-dark-2021 (Accessed: 4 April 2025).
• Wang, Y., Liu, Y. and Zhang, X. (2025) ‘Review of ship navigation safety in fog: Applications to commercial fishing boats in China’, Journal of Navigation, 78(2), pp. 245–260. Available at: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-navigation/article/review-of-ship-navigation-safety-in-fog/E3B6A470902977D4D30B0B024D0A42A4 (Accessed: 4 April 2025).