Illegal fishing (IUU)

The EU rules to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing

Vessel fishing illegally for Patagonian toothfish in waters south of Australia, being inspected by the Australian navy.

Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) depletes fish stocks, destroys marine habitats, distorts competition, puts honest fishers at an unfair disadvantage, and weakens coastal communities, particularly in developing countries.
The EU is working to close the loopholes that allow illegal operators to profit from their activities:

The EU Regulation to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) entered into force on 1 January 2010. The Commission is working actively with all stakeholders to ensure coherent application of the IUU Regulation.
Only marine fisheries products validated as legal by the competent flag state or exporting state can be imported to or exported from the EU.
An IUU vessel list is issued regularly, based on IUU vessels identified by Regional Fisheries Management Organisations.
The IUU Regulation can take steps against states that turn a blind eye to illegal fishing activities: first it issues a warning, then it can identify and black list them for not fighting IUU fishing.
EU operators who fish illegally anywhere in the world, under any flag, face substantial penalties proportionate to the economic value of their catch, which deprive them of any profit.

In May 2019 the European Commission launched CATCH, an IT system that aims to digitalise the currently paper-based EU catch certification scheme as laid down by the Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008.

Legal basis

Council Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008 of 29 September 2008 establishing a Community system to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU Regulation)

Commission Regulation (EC) No 1010/2009 of 22 October 2009 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008

Commission Statements of 18 September 2008

Secondary legislation, guidance and other information

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24/06/2019 - Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) annual meeting: progress towards sustainability

The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) held its 23rd Annual Meeting in Hyderabad, India, from 17 to 21 June 2019. The EU welcomes the adoption of ambitious measures to improve the management of FADs and offset their possible negative impacts on the ecosystem, and the retention ban on Manta and Mobula rays. However, there is still a lot to be done to reach the sustainable management of stocks covered by the organisation’s mandate, in particular the Yellowfin Tuna (YFT).

19/06/2019 - EU signs Sustainable Fishing Partnership Agreement Protocol with Guinea Bissau

On 15 June, the EU and Guinea Bissau signed a new 5-year protocol to the existing Sustainable Fishing Partnership Agreement (SFPA). This new protocol fully reflects the long-standing spirit of the EU partnership and the general principles of the EU Common Fisheries Policy such as sustainable management of resources, legal stability, transparency, science-based access and monitoring, and the sustainable development of the partner country fisheries sector.

14/06/2019 - GFCM High-level Conference on MedFish4Ever initiatives: advances and renewed commitments (11-12 June 2019, Marrakech)

The MedFish4Ever Declaration, initiated by the European Commission and adopted in March 2017, created a new governance of the Mediterranean fisheries and aquaculture, bringing, for the first time, joint political commitment of the riparian countries to implement a concrete roadmap in the coming 10 years.