Brussels, 13/10/2011 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament (EP) fisheries committee, on Tuesday 11 October, called on the EU to increase its efforts, especially internationally to tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. With the adoption of the report by Isabella Lövin (Greens/EFA, Sweden) on the role of the EU in tackling illegal fishing worldwide, the fisheries committee recommended measures to address this, one of the most serious threats to the biodiversity of the Earth's oceans.
Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing is estimated to represent some 15% of world catches - between 11 and 26 million tonnes a year, “making sustainable management of marine resources impossible”, say MEPs. The regulations adopted in 2008 and 2009 give the EU powerful and far-reaching instruments to tackle illegal fishing. It would appear, however, that these instruments are not enough, alone, to eradicate IUU fishing. Insofar as most of the oceans - of the order of two thirds - are outside national jurisdiction, it is clear, Lövin says, that national efforts and regional cooperation will not be enough. This is a battle that can only be won through cooperation by the international community as a whole, she argues. She believes that the EU must do more to promote effective international cooperation on illegal fishing. “We need to ensure that ruthless operators cannot simply change the flag of their vessels to avoid their responsibilities”, she says.
While the technology exists to monitor and prevent illegal fishing, it is the political will that is lacking, according to MEPs. The committee calls on the European Commission and member states to highlight the issue in international fora such as the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and for sanctions
against states that fail to meet their international obligations.
The committee says that aid from the EU's generalised preference system should be conditional on applicant countries' compliance with international rules on IUU. And the Commission and member states should step up their financial and technical support for surveillance programmes in the waters of developing countries.
MEPs advocate: - compulsory registration of fishing vessels above 10GT (gross tonnage); - a worldwide catch certification scheme; - international exchange of information on vessels' activities; - import controls and; - an agreement on closing markets to illegally caught fish.
MEPs urge the EU to consult major market states, such as the US, Japan and China, about developing international legal instruments, possibly under WTO auspices, to halt, prosecute and punish trade in IUU fish.
They would also like the EU to establish a register of fishing vessels authorised to fish and blacklist those that engage in illegal fishing. They advocate, too, stepping up inspections at sea, developing catch-documentation schemes, banning transhipments, compulsory use of electronic vessel monitoring systems (VMS) and stronger regional fisheries management organisations to cover all high seas fisheries.
The European Parliament will vote on the Lövin report in the plenary session in Strasbourg on 14-17 November. (LC/transl.rt)