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Comment by mmm_grayons | Hacker News Reader

Which is a great theory, but if you're a small island being stared down by Red China, are you really going to take her on over fish?

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This is where privateering comes in... these issues existed in the past and are hard to solve. Privateers gave the state the ability to look the other way.

You might make treaties with larger nations who could use various other negotiation methods (or, failing that, navies) to try and reach a global balance.

Why would a "larger nation" such as China agree to such a treaty when they can blow you out of their waters, and you can't blow them out of yours? What's in it for them? It's not in their interest, so a treaty is a non-starter.

It would probably be a different larger nation that's geopolitically opposed to China.

But then you don't need a treaty, because that nation can blow Chinese vessels out of their waters without it.

the big nation might not care if Chinese vessels are in the waters of your small nation.

A big nation doesn't give a shit about a small nation unless there's something in it for them. I.e. if they're a part of some pre-existing union, or if they host their military bases, or something else. And there's zero chance a big nation will risk going to war to protect a small nation's fishing rights, unless a war was already in the cards (in which case it might be used as a rather desperate "casus belli").

Maybe we could create a network of "mutual defense treaties" where nations would come to the aid of another if their fishing rights were attacked.

Actually, that sounds like a great way to start a world war.

are these Red China fishing boats also run by their military? A small country's navy should be able to deter civilian fishing boats

If the fishing boats don't comply, you have to shoot at them. You will obviously win the battle, but it's doubtful if you'll win the aftermath.

maybe just destroy their fishing equipment, there will be aftermath but I can't imagine the narrative "Ecuador's military going all over to the China sea to bully civilians" makes sense to anyone.

As someone pointed out above you can board them. I suppose an argument could be made for sinking them; it would prevent reclamation of the vessel for fishing later.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cod_Wars

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