Brussels, 26/01/2015 (Agence Europe) - The EU Council of Ministers took the decision on Monday 26 January to impose sanctions on Sri Lanka for its continuing failure, despite several warnings, to comply with the measures required of it to tackle illegal fishing.
The decision seeks to ban the import into the EU of fisheries products from Sri Lanka (see EUROPE 11176). The decision to impose sanctions was taken after more than four years of in-depth dialogue with the country. Sri Lanka has been unable to demonstrate that it was doing enough to tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Among the main weaknesses highlighted are insufficiencies in implementing control measures, the lack of dissuasive sanctions against the high-seas fleet and failure to comply with international and regional fisheries rules. Sri Lanka is the second largest exporter of fresh and chilled swordfish to the EU (€74 million worth of imports by the EU in 2013). (LC)