Peru defends its waters as Chinese boats are accused of illegal fishing

A vast fleet of Chinese boats is sailing around the waters off Latin America, accused of illegal fishing and threatening the rich biological diversity of the South Pacific.

Hundreds of vessels have spent weeks trawling for stocks, in a region which is considered one of the world’s most biodiverse marine areas.

Illegal fishing has become a highly lucrative criminal activity, racking up revenues in the tens of billions of pounds.

Now, Peru’s coastguards are out defending their territorial waters.