Brussels, 30/10/2007 (Agence Europe) - In Lisbon, Portugal, on 29 October, 40 fisheries ministers from 40 countries, including the 27 European Union member states, committed their countries to combating the international trade in products from illegal fishing. “There is a clear commitment to put in place measures that will remove the motivation for illegal fishing: quick profits,” said Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg after the conference on combating illegal, undeclared and unregulated fishing organised jointly by the European Commission and the Portuguese presidency of the Council of the EU.
After the meeting, a ministerial declaration on eradicating illegal fishing was adopted. Fisheries ministers called on importing countries to put in place mechanisms that are sufficiently robust to ensure that no illegal-fishing-based product can enter their territory. Portuguese minister, Jaime Silva, who chaired the meeting, said that this joint statement reflected the “widespread support for the European Commission's proposal”, brought forward on 17 October (see EUROPE 9525). In addition to the 27 EU countries, Iceland, Norway, Canada, Australia, Russia, Morocco, Senegal, the Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Mauritania, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau and Mauritius were represented in Lisbon and signed the declaration. (L.C.)