Brussels, 08/09/2011 (Agence Europe) - A historic bilateral cooperation agreement to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, known as IUU fishing, was signed by European Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki and Jane Lubchenco, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator, in Washington on Wednesday 7 September. Although the European Union and the United States have been working together on fisheries management for many years, this is the first time an agreement of this type has been signed.
The EU and US, which rank first and third, respectively, as the world's top seafood importers (with Japan second), have agreed that the seafood they import will not be caught illegally. Overall, IUU fishing deprives legal fishermen and coastal communities of up to $23 billion of seafood and seafood products annually.
“IUU fishing is a criminal activity”, said Damanaki, “and we have a duty to do everything possible to stop this practice. Today's agreement will do just that. By joining forces, we will make it harder for culprits to get away with their dirty business.”
Lubchenco, who is also the under-secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere, said: “Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing is one of the most serious threats to sustainable fishing and to marine biodiversity in the world's oceans. International cooperation across oceans will help us strengthen enforcement and prevent legal fishing industries from being undermined in the global marketplace by illegal fishing.”
The EU and the United States have already put in place a number of legal measures to combat IUU fishing, such as the EU's IUU Regulation and the U.S. High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act. Wednesday's agreement commits the EU and the US to work together to adopt the most effective tools to combat illegal fishing. It commits them to continue to strengthen monitoring and enforcement of management measures in their role as parties to regional fishery management organisations and to various international treaties, and commits them to using tools that prevent IUU operators from benefiting economically from their illegal activities.
The new agreement includes a system of information exchange on IUU activities. It encourages regional fishery management organisations to take management measures that strengthen control, monitoring and enforcement of the operation of vessels within certain areas. It encourages other countries to ratify and implement the Port State Measures Agreement of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation Committee on Fisheries, and promotes the sustainable use of fisheries resources while preserving marine biodiversity. (L.C./transl.rt)