PERU fishing with guts to report…
As part of the ongoing fight against illegal fishing worldwide, the European Commission (EC) today warned Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Kitts and Nevis and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to risk being identified as countries uncooperative.
The move is part of the EU initiative for sustainable use of the sea and its resources. Illegal fishing is not only a criminal activity but also jeopardizes the livelihoods of fishing communities and depleted fish stocks.
European Commissioner for Environment, Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, Karmenu Vella said about it: “Today's decision means that the four countries have to increase their efforts in the fight against illegal fishing. I am convinced that all of them will commit to this cooperative approach, as the sustainable development of small island states is based on the Sustainable Fisheries. We will work with them to make this happen and will continue prioritizing sustainability in our waters and abroad”.
The four countries received “yellow card” warning and now have a reasonable opportunity to respond and take action to rectify the situation time. To help achieve this, the Commission has also proposed a set of measures for each country to address its shortcomings.
At this stage, the decision does not involve measures affecting trade. However, if the situation does not improve within six months, the EU could take further measures could involve, inter alia, trade sanctions on fish imports, as recently happened with Sri Lanka.
The decision is the result of a thorough analysis of the situation in the area and also takes into account the level of development of each country. Now hosting a formal dialogue with these countries to solve identified problems and implement the necessary measures.
As the largest importer of fish in the world, the EU has set a target to close their markets to illegally caught fish. These measures against third countries, the EU guarantees a systematic approach for sustainable fishing activities in the EU and worldwide.
The estimated total value of IUU fishing is estimated at EUR 10,000 million a year. Between 11 and 26 million tons of fish are caught illegally each year, representing at least 15% of world catches.
SOURCE: Fis.com
