China says it has banned its massive fishing fleet from catching squid in parts of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans for three months to help populations recover, after environmental groups warned the country’s illegal fishing activities are devastating ecologically sensitive areas such as the Galapagos Islands.

China’s distant-water fishing vessels have long caused controversy in waters around Asia. As the fleet has grown, so have complaints. Recently, about 340 large Chinese trawlers ventured into waters near Ecuador, triggering protests over possible threats to the Galapagos Islands, a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to many unique species. There are also ongoing conflicts involving Chinese fishing vessels in waters off Africa and the Korean Peninsula.

Analysts say many Chinese vessels conduct “illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU)” fishing activities that threaten the sovereignty of other nations and endanger the global food security chain.

In waters around East Asian countries, China has been using fishing to bolster its territorial claims. Countries including Japan, Vietnam, Philippines and Malaysia have reacted strongly to China’s illegal fishing activities in the disputed waters.

Meanwhile, illegal fishing activities have caused serious economic loss to countries involved in the dispute. 

“China fishes in countries that don’t have the ability to monitor their coastal waters well, like North Korea,” she said. “Coast guard vessels and fuel for those patrol vessels are often cost prohibitive for developing countries.”

The international community has pressured China to improve its industrial fishing practices. After U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the Chinese fleet activities in Galapagos an infringement of Ecuador’s sovereignty, China announced that it suspended fishing in the area.

Meanwhile, environmental groups are calling on China to be more transparent in sharing data concerning its distant water fleets.