In February 2019, several NGOs filed a complaint asking the EU to launch an infringement procedure against Italy for failure to comply with its monitoring obligations
Read moreGoodies and baddies: IUU fishing as state-corporate crime, not "organised crime"
IUU is increasingly being thought of as "organised crime". But we caution against this image and argue that a far better approach lies with the notion of state-corporate crime. There are important implications for policy thinking with this reframing of the problem.
Read moreThe EU's IUU regulation - need for improved transparency
Following the pre-notification of South Korea in the context of the regulation on IUU fishing, it is clear that the European Commission should give more transparency to the process, as it does with the enforcement of the sanitary and phytosanitary regulations.
Read morePresentations at Interpol’s meeting on IUU fishing confirm resistance to publishing information on licensing: Why?
In what sector with high rates of unlicensed activity would information on who is licensed be considered confidential in order to help fight corporate criminality? According to a presentation by the new chair of the 'Fish-I' project, that would be the fisheries sector in East Africa.
Read moreGuinea, Togo, Fiji and more risk EU trade sanction for lack of cooperation on IUU fishing
The European Union is warning eight nations from around the world to improve their fight against illegal fishing or risk sanctions. EU Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki said that naming Belize, Cambodia, Fiji, Guinea, Panama, Sri Lanka, Togo and Vanuatu did not mean they were put on a black list, but rather they were given a warning without measures attached to it at the moment. If the nations concerned do not cooperate they could face trade and other sanctions in the fisheries sector.
Sources Press article, Business week, 15 November 2012http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2012... EC questions and answers on IUU fishing - 15 November 2012 http://europa.eu/rapid/press-releas...
A Chinese fleet, un-authorised for bluefin tuna fishing in the Mediterranean, on its way to Mauritania
In a press release, WWF indicates that 13 Chinese vessels, as well as a fleet with unknown flag, were present in the bluefin tuna fishing zone in the Mediterranean - none of these fishing vessels were on the lists of authorised vessels. The Chinese fleet, says WWF, crossed the Mediterranean from Suez to Gibraltar, before leaving the area on 26 May. Answering requests for information on those vessels, the Chinese authorities informed that the fleet was on its way to Mauritania. ’Despite obvious signs of illegal fishing, and numerous alerts sent to the competent authorities (...), as far as we know, no inspection at sea took place’, indicated Sergi Tudela, in charge of the marine programme at WWF Mediterranean
Source : REJOPRAO, quoting AFP, 31 May 2012
The allocation of controversial licences put at risk Senegal’s approval to export to EU market
An EU delegation met with Senegal Fisheries Ministry and with representatives of the fisheries sector to inform them that EU was investigating the conditions under which foreign trawlers are fishing small pelagics in waters under Senegal’s jurisdiction, in the context of the EU regulation against IUU fishing. The EU delegation warned about the risk for Senegal to have its approval to export fish products on the EU market withdrawn, and to be designated as non cooperating state in regard of the IUU regulation, notably because fishing authorisations allocated to these vessels were not in conformity with the Senegalese law.
Senegalese fishing professionals reiterate that the European market is their main export market, in particular for artisanal fishing which supplies 70% of exports, and remind that they warned the authorities, since the beginning, about the risks, for the strategic small pelagics resources and for the fishing sector, to illegally give these licences to foreign trawlers.
Information sent by Gaoussou Gueye, vice président of conipas.
Protest against IUU fishing in Liberia
Over two hundred and fifty local fishermen and women from various fishing communities in Liberia recently gathered at the Ministry of Agriculture to protest against illegal fishing activities within Liberian waters. Local fishermen said the protest was prompted by brutality allegedly inflicted on one of their colleagues by the occupants of an unlicensed Korean vessel within the Liberian territorial waters. In a statement, the protesters called on the Government of Liberia to take urgent action in enforcing the issuance of new fishery regulations and the moratorium on industrial fishing licenses. According to local fishermen of the LAFA, the Inshore Exclusive Zone (IEZ) of six nautical miles which is supposed to be reserved for them is being routinely exploited day and night by illegal fishing vessels.
Senegal: civil society and fishing sector unite against 22 Russian trawlers licensing
In a press conference held on March 17 in Dakar, representatives of professional organizations from the Senegalese industrial and small-scale fishing sector, as well trade unions and consumer organisations, denounced the presence in the Senegalese waters of Russian fishing vessels targeting small pelagics: "These vessels whose licences have been formally refused, are able to quietly operate, by day and by night, without be arrested...", says a press release from GAIPES (grouping of the shipowners and industrial fishing in Senegal).
CAOPA at SRFC/FAO/EC workshop on monitoring
Sidahmed Ould Abeid, Chairman of the CAOPA, has been invited to the Workshop of the validation and adoption of the Action Plan for national and sub-regional cooperation in the field of Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS), organized in Banjul by SRFC, FAO and the European Commission, 7-10 March.
He highlighted the importance of including participative surveillance in the programmes, and received the support of the Permanent Secretary of the SRFC. The latter asked States to ensure the participation of professional organizations into their monitoring programmes, given that they have a lot of important information in their possession, and to include them in their national delegations to similar meetings from now on.
Participative surveillance in West Africa
On the margins of the 29th session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries, following up on a first meeting on the margins of the CAMFA in September 2010, CFFA met with its partners, the organisations of artisanal fisheries in Guinea and Senegal, to assess past or current participative surveillance projects in these two countries and make a series of recommendations aimed at improving the effectiveness of participative surveillance in the fight against IUU fishing in West Africa.
These recommendations were presented to the European Commission during a meeting on IUU fishing between DG-MARE’s Fisheries Control Policy unit and NGOs active in this domain.
CFFA and its partners will closely follow further developments on regional surveillance, including in the SRFC waters, and will seek to involve fishermen in these processes.
CFFA Workshop on IUU fishing at European Maritime Day in Gijon
Developing countries fisheries stakeholders, particularly the small scale fishing sector, are facing specific challenges for the implementation of the IUU regulation.
Although there is still little experience of the implementation (5 months), third countries fishing sector stakeholders (fishermen, exporters, competent authorities, NGOs) already have some examples to share about the concrete issues, - problems and opportunities-, arising from the implementation of the regulation, and suggestions to make about how to ensure the smooth implementation of the regulation, and how a sustained dialogue can be established between the EU and third countries stakeholders to ensure the objective is met: fight efficiently IUU fishing.
Presentations of the panel (in French):
"Application de la législation européenne de lutte contre la pêche INN : cas de la pêche artisanale au Sénégal"
By Gaoussou Gueye, exportateur et vice président du CONIPAS (Sénégal) et Makhtar Thiam, expert Pêche du West Africa Trade Hub
"Application de la législation européenne de lutte contre la pêche INN : cas des exportations de produits de la pêche de Mauritanie"
By Sid’ahmed Sidi Mohamed Abeid, président de la section artisanale de la Fédération Nationale des Pêches de Mauritanie
"Importation de produits de la pêche vers l’UE"
By Concepción Sánchez Trujillano, Deputy Director-General of Community Affairs, Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Areas (Spain)
"Contrôle et Traçabilité: Défis et solutions"
Par Hélène Bours, CAPE
"Implementation of the EU regulation on IUU fishing: Organising the dialogue with developing countries stakeholders"
Rapport d’atelier de la Commission
- Rapport d’atelier (English version)
EU proposed regulation to combat IUU fishing: Issues for Developing countries
CFFA generally welcomes the comprehensive package of measures proposed by the European Commission to combat IUU fishing. The proposal foresees actions to be taken by or against flag States, port States and market States as well as actors in the fishing sector all along the chain of custody and will go a long way toward curtailing IUU fishing, both within and outside EU waters, both by EU-flagged and/or owned fleets as well as foreign fleets.
However, although the proposal acknowledges the need to help developing countries to fight IUU fishing, it fails to propose concrete measures to that effect. Without such concrete support, the measures proposed, such as the trade related measures, will constitute new trade barriers for legally-caught fish from developing countries, especially those fish products from the artisanal fishing sector.
Court of Auditors report: EU Common Fisheries Policy falls short on IUU
On December 4th 2007, the European Court of Auditors published a Special Report, exposing the failure by Member States to effectively control fishing activities by their fleets and demonstrates the urgent need to seriously strengthen EU control and inspection systems. Despite claims that existing rules are sufficient to prevent or seriously limit Illegal, Unreported, unregulated (IUU) fishing by EU fleets, the Court of Auditor‟s report states that “despite recent improvements, the control, inspection and sanction mechanisms in place are not capable of ensuring that the rules on managing the fisheries resources, … are effectively applied.” adding that “If the political authorities want the CFP to achieve its objective of sustainable exploitation of the fisheries resources, the present control, inspection and sanction mechanisms must be strengthened considerably.”
In that context, Development NGOs reiterate their support to the proposal for a Council Regulation establishing a system to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. In addition, the Commission tabled a proposal on the management of „Authorisations for fishing activities of Community fishing vessels outside Community waters and the access of third country vessels to Community waters” which, we feel, contains effective control measures and sanctions complementing those in the proposal on IUU fishing. In particular, we welcome the fact that the Commission recognises that the Community has a responsibility, as flag state, in the correct application of the fisheries agreements with third countries. Therefore, we fully support the proposal that fishing authorisations for vessels that have not complied with their obligations during the preceding year, or that have been blacklisted as “IUU vessel”, should be refused.
Proposal by the European Commission for measures to combat IUU fishing: CFFA preliminary comments
CFFA welcomes the comprehensive package of measures proposed by the European Commission to combat IUU fishing. The proposal foresees actions to be taken by or against flag States, port States and market States as well as actors in the fishing sector all along the chain of custody and will go a long way toward curtailing IUU fishing, both within and outside EU waters, both by EU-flagged and/or owned fleets as well as foreign fleets. However, although the proposal acknowledges the need to help developing countries to fight IUU fishing, it fails to propose concrete measures to that effect. Without such concrete support, the measures proposed, such as the trade related measures, will constitute new trade barriers for legally-caught fish from developing countries, especially those fish products from the artisanal fishing sector.
The fight against IUU fishing in West Africa: Good governance and regional cooperation are top priorities
Tensions between Sierra Leone and Guinea Conakry around the arrest two weeks ago by the Sierra Leone navy of eight Guinean nationals, including military, police and fisheries inspectors, are still running high.
Sierra Leone says the Guinean nationals carried out a pirate attack on two Chinese fishing vessels licensed to fish in their waters. The Guinean boat was arrested well inside Sierra Leone waters, and the men on board were found with AK-47 automatic rifles and bags of high value fish taken off the two locally-licensed Chinese fishing vessels, the Lian Run 23 and the Lian Run 24. According to Guinean authorities, the men were on a legitimate fisheries protection patrol, although they couldn’t explain what the Guineans were doing within Sierra Leone’s waters.
"That incident shows there is an urgent need for increased cooperation between West African States", said Hélène Bours, expert on illegal fishing for the Coalition for Fair Fisheries Arrangements (CFFA). "If, as would appear from reports received, the Sierra Leone story is correct, this would be a good example of gamekeeper turned poacher. It strongly supports arguments for addressing governance issues and corruption as a matter of priority, rather than simply providing fast boats and other control assets and simply expecting them to be used effectively by the relevant authorities." declared Tim Bostock, Fisheries Support Programme Coordinator for the UK Department for International Development.
- The fight against IUU fishing in West Africa: Good governance and regional cooperation are top priorities
Improving traceability for fish products imported into the EU markets to combat IUU fishing
The EU as a bloc is the world’s largest market for fish, accounting for 40% of global imports. The African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP) represent an important fish-trading partner for the EU. EU trade statistics1 show that in 2006, the value of EU fish imports from ACP countries was around 1.4 billion euros, i.e. about 12% of total value of extra EU fish imports.
A 2006 study2 warns about the EU’s declining self sufficiency from catches in its own waters, estimated to be just 40 % in 20063. This situation, together with the recent enlargement of the EU from 15 to 25 member states, provides ACP fishermen and exporters with significant opportunities, so long as they can comply with an increasingly complex set of standards, such as the ones that are being put in place for traceability. Traceability meets several objectives, - to ensure the origin, the sanitary quality of a product-, but it will also become a tool for the fight against IUU (Illegal, Unreported, Unregulated) fishing.
Statement on IUU fishing issues for African coastal communities
Prepared for the 27th session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries
We, representatives of African small scale fishing communities and professional organisations, welcome FAO’s efforts to help combat IUU fishing. Our communities suffer greatly from industrial trawlers coming, at night, to fish illegally in zones which are normally reserved for small scale fishing. They destroy our resources, they destroy our coastal zones, they destroy our nets and they even kill our fishermen, when fishing with their lights off, they collide with our artisanal boats. We would like to draw your attention on the following:
Illegal fishing in Guinea: stealing fish, stealing lives
In July 2005, in Guinea, a fisheries inspector died during a nightly encounter with a trawler fishing illegally. A few months earlier, it was the whole crew of an artisanal pirogue that went down through a similar encounter. Of the 4 crew members, only one fisherman survived, clutching on to a few buoys for three days at sea, waiting for help. Illegal fishing in Guinea results not only in stolen fish, but also in lost lives.
Guinea has extensive and valuable shrimp, octopus, demersal and pelagic fisheries. Like the proverbial bees to the honey pot, this attracts all kinds of fishing vessels, including the ones involved in IUU (Illegal Unreported and Unregulated) fishing. In 2001, a Greenpeace report of at sea observations in Guinea’s EEZ highlighted that 34 of the 92 vessels (34%) observed were fishing in an prohibited zone, largely taking catch from the area designated for artisanal fisheries, and therefore illegal
These illegal activities, in particular by Korean trawlers fishing for “otholites” (type of croaker/grunter), have been denounced for many years, particularly by Guinean artisanal fishermen. Issiaga Daffe, President of the artisanal fishermen’s organization UNPAG (Union Nationale des Pêcheurs Artisans de Guinée), explains “Illegal incursions of trawlers into the Guinean coastal zone are the most damaging practice for fishing resources as well as our coastal communities. These incursions result not only in degradation of our coasts, but also, particularly as they happen mainly at night, in collisions with small scale fishing vessels, incur loss of gears and casualties. Some of our fishermen, who tried to discuss with these illegal boats crew, were often welcomed with gun fire or boiling water being poured on the pirogues”.
In May 2005, a joint field visit was organised by two European NGOs, EJF (Environmental Justice Foundation) and CFFA (Coalition for Fair Fisheries Arrangements), with the collaboration of the Guinean association ADEPEG –CPA. Several ports and bases along the coast of Guinea were visited, where the extent of illegal fishing and the need to support for surveillance programmes were glaringly apparent.
