On Tuesday, 20 January, the NGO Oceana warned that fishing vessels belonging to EU nationals or companies continue to operate under flags of convenience or in tax havens, undermining efforts to combat illegal fishing.
At least 105 large vessels owned by European interests are registered in high-risk countries or have received warnings from the EU for their laxity towards illegal fishing. According to Oceana, this situation reveals a major flaw in how European rules are applied—allowing stakeholders to circumvent regulations and evade controls.
Shipowners have resorted to opaque structures, especially shell companies, to conceal their identities and their activities. Spain, Portugal, and Lithuania have the highest number of European shipowners involved [in such practices].
Thirty-three of these vessels—notably registered in Panama, Belize, Senegal, and Ecuador—are authorised to export their catches directly to the EU, letting high-risk products enter the European market.
Oceana is calling on Member States to strengthen controls and to require EU nationals to report any interests they have in ships flying non-EU flags.
Read the report: https://aeur.eu/f/kb3 (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)