A four-day campaign co-funded by the EU against illegal fishing off the West Africa Coast has shown concrete results in tackling illegal fishing in Western Africa.
The fight against illegal fishing was a key topic of conversation at the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) last week, with FAO's Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture (COFI) celebrating the entry into force of the FAO Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA) at its meeting in Rome on 11-15 July.
The Commission has proposed to lift the "red card" and the associated trade measures for fisheries products from the Republic of Guinea, following significant improvements to its national fisheries governance to fight illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The 16th Session of the Western Central Atlantic Fishery Commission (WECAFC) was held in Gosier (Guadeloupe, France) from 20-24 June 2016. It was attended by representatives from 28 member countries, including the European Commission for the European Union, as well as observers from sub-regional fisheries organisations, cooperation agencies and civil society.
On June 5, the Port State Measures Agreement, a key international treaty aimed at combating illegal fishing will come into force. The Agreement, adopted and promoted by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation, allows countries to keep illegal operators out of their ports and to prevent them from landing illegal catches.
World fish stocks are being depleted by overfishing and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. This threatens not only the fish, but also the coastal communities that rely on fisheries for economic survival and a dependable food source. The European Commission has worked in close cooperation with EU countries and non-EU countries to develop the FLUX standards in order to exchange fisheries information in an effective, transparent and efficient manner.
The EU and Canada today signed a Joint Declaration on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, sending a strong message of zero tolerance towards such criminal activities. The declaration was signed by Karmenu Vella, EU Commissioner for Environment, Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, and the Canadian Minister of Fisheries Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, Hunter Tootoo.
EU warns Kiribati, Sierra Leone and Trinidad & Tobago with yellow cards as they risk being uncooperative in the fight against illegal fishing. Sri Lanka reforms its fisheries system and is delisted.
Commissioner Karmenu Vella, responsible for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, today met with Sherry Ayittey, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development of Ghana.
This year's annual meeting of the South-East Atlantic Fisheries Organisation was held in Swakopmund, Namibia, from 30 November to 4 December. The outcome is very satisfactory for the EU, which was again a driving force behind the adoption of the main measures - notably the updating of the system of Observation, Inspection, Compliance and Enforcement as well as all Scientific Committee recommendations, notably the TAC of Patagonian Toothfish and Deep-sea Red Crabs.
The Commission today confirmed its zero tolerance policy against illegal fishing worldwide by warning the Comoros and Taiwan that they risk being identified as uncooperative countries in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. At the same time, the Commission is lifting the yellow cards from Ghana and Papua New Guinea, which have significantly reformed their fisheries governance system.
European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Karmenu Vella, is in Washington this week to convey the EU's commitment to sustainable development.
The European Commission has today put Thailand on formal notice for not taking sufficient measures in the international fight against illegal fishing (IUU).
Speech by Director-General Lowri Evans, at a Conference at the University of the Philippines, Manila, 26 February 2015
European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Karmenu Vella will visit Agadir, Morocco to take part in the third edition of the Salon Halieutis. The event, organised by Morocco under the high patronage of King Mohamed VI, focuses on the different economic sectors of the marine fisheries, aquaculture and seafood industries, and will attract 45,000 visitors and exhibitors from over 30 countries.
The European Commission has granted six month extensions to the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, and Ghana as they work towards eradicating illegal fishing in their countries. All three had been issued with warnings for not doing enough to address their fisheries control weaknesses and a six month period, coupled with an action plan, to make the necessary changes.
As part of the continued fight against illegal fishing worldwide, the European Commission has today warned the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines that they risk being identified as non-cooperating countries.
