Brussels, 21/02/2006 (Agence Europe) - During the Agriculture-Fisheries Council on 20 February, Denmark and Sweden, supported by Poland, Latvia and Spain underlined the urgent need to strengthen international cooperation between coastal countries to combat illegal cod fishing in the Barents sea. Illegal cod fishing is estimated at 100,000 tonnes a year and is predominantly carried out by Russian boats. Illegal catches (the last mass cod stock in the world) are made from cod stocks jointly managed by Russia and Norway and a large part of these illegal catches are unloaded in EU ports. In response to these concerns, Joe Borg, European Commissioner for Fisheries provided assurances that the Commission would work in close collaboration with Norway, especially at the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) and would extend an invitation to Russia to join them in fighting these practices. Borg also called on Member States to step up inspections of stock unloaded coming from third countries into EU ports. The Commission acknowledges that it is difficult to differentiate between illegal and legal catches, given that cod is prepared and frozen on board, unloaded in port, then sent to China where it is processed and then finally sent on to the European market.