Fisheries Committee calls for international action to fight illegal fishing

Illegal fishing not only seriously distorts markets for EU fishermen and consumers, but threatens to destroy the biodiversity of the world's oceans, warned the Fisheries Committee on Tuesday. An estimated 15% of world catches - between 11 and 26 million tonnes a year - come from illegal fishing. The committee's own-initiative report calls on the EU to promote international action, including stepping up inspections at sea and closing markets to illegal seafood, to maintain world fish stocks.

Given the high mobility of fish stocks and fishing fleets, illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing can only be effectively tackled by international cooperation, said MEPs, stressing that the EU, as the world's major fishing power and the largest importer of fisheries products, should play a key role in mobilising international community to combat IUU.

An estimated 15% of world catches - between 11 and 26 million tonnes a year - come from illegal fishing, making sustainable management of marine resources impossible, says the text. Besides threatening fish stock sustainability and food security, which affects both consumers and fishing communities illegal fishing constitutes unfair competition for fishermen who abide by the rules, says the text.

"The EU needs to do more to promote effective international cooperation to combat illegal fishing", said rapporteur Isabella Lövin (Greens/EFA, SE) stressing that "we need to ensure that ruthless operators cannot simply change the flag of their vessels to avoid their responsibilities. With many fish stocks around the world already perilously threatened, illegal fishing could be the final straw".

Sanctions against negligent states
The technology to monitor and prevent illegal fishing now exists - what is missing is the political will to do so, say MEPs. The committee urges the Commission and Member States to press the issue in international fora such as the WTO, and calls for sanctions against states that fail to meet their international obligations, e.g. by ensuring that vessels that fly their flags abide by the rules.
The committee also says that aid from the EU's generalised preference system should be conditional upon applicant countries' compliance with FAO and UN rules against IUU and that the Commission and Member States should step up their financial and technical support for surveillance programmes in the waters of developing countries.

Read on...

Freshwater pearl mussels among IUCN's 'most endangered'

Scottish freshwater pearl mussels join giant pandas and Javan rhinos in a new book listing 365 of the world's "most endangered species".
Species on the Edge of Survival has been put together by the International Union for Conservation (IUCN).

It keeps a red list of threatened wildlife using information gathered by scientists and conservationists.

The IUCN said the list was the most complete scientific knowledge on the conservation status of known species.

The new book, published by Collins, includes the pearl mussels because of the threat posed by poachers and habitat loss.

In 2010, a survey suggested about 75% of the country's internationally-important pearl mussel sites had been damaged by criminals.

Criminal acts ranged from illegal pearl fishing to unauthorised river works which resulted in the destruction of entire pearl mussel populations.

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) said the destruction was "shocking".

The mussels are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Wildlife crime officers and SNH launched Operation Caesar to safeguard the future of the species in Scotland.

Scotland has a total of 21 designated sites for pearl mussels, with Scottish rivers holding about half of the world's population of the species.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-14915677

Illegal fishing trawler seized off Liberia

Stealing fish from West Africa
September 2011: A fishing boat believed to be illegally catching and supplying fish stolen from West Africa to the European Union has been seized by Liberian authorities.

The Liberian Coastguard, backed by the Bureau for National Fisheries and US Coastguard, has made its first fishing vessel seizure following the dramatic chase of Korean-flagged trawler the Seta 70, fishing illegally within their waters.

Chased down The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), which has been investigating illegal fishing activities of the Seta 70 since 2008, has received reports from Liberian authorities that the Liberian Coastguard (LCG) chased down and seized the trawler at the end of July after it was caught fishing illegally in inshore areas reserved for local fishermen.

The Seta 70, owned by a Korean multinational company which has offices in the Canary Islands and owns a luxury golf resort on the Spanish mainland, tried to avoid capture by steering erratically and turning off its lights during the night. A Liberian government fisheries observer on board was reportedly stopped from using communication equipment by the vessel's captain. He was reportedly able to raise the alarm by making a call on his mobile phone while hidden in a toilet.

Catching fish for lucrative European marketThe pursuit came to an end when Liberian authorities fired warning shots before boarding the vessel and bringing it to the country's capital Monrovia. Earlier this year, the Environmental Justice Foundation documented several vessels, including the Seta 70, fishing illegally in neighbouring Sierra Leone.

The vessels were catching fish for the highly lucrative European and Asian seafood markets and their illegal activities included fishing in inshore areas, destroying local fishermen's nets, concealing their markings and attacking a local fisherman.

Evidence collected by EJF on these vessels' activities was provided to European authorities, leading in April 2011 to the seizure of an estimated £4 million worth of fish in the Spanish port of Las Palmas. This was the largest seizure since the EU introduced a new regulation to end illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in January 2010.

Investigations underwayThe consignment of suspected illegally caught fish was released to the market by Spanish authorities, following months of meetings between port authorities, fishing companies and fish processors. In Spanish media, Korean fishing companies were reported to have threatened to leave the port of Las Palmas if controls on imports of fish from West Africa were not loosened. So far, Spanish authorities and the European Commission have not commented on the release of the illegal fish, which is now circulating within EU markets.

The Seta 70 is still under arrest in Monrovia while investigations of the vessel's activities are ongoing. Meanwhile, the Liberian government has requested that European authorities ensure that none of the illegal vessels' catch is able to enter the European seafood market.

Steve Trent, executive director of EJF says: ‘The Spanish government must urgently review its decision to allow the import of fish from the Seta 70 and other vessels that are stealing fish from some of the poorest people on the planet. Weak port controls in Las Palmas mean that European consumers are unwittingly fuelling pirate fishing, a practice that devastates coastal communities, compromises food security and destroys marine environments.'
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/illegal-fishing.html

Illegal fishing – Theft and destruction

U.S. joins more than 50 nations in adopting recommendation to list vessels engaged in illegal fishing around the world

July 2011. The United States joined more than 50 countries in a recommendation to regional fishery management organizations (RFMOs) to better track vessels engaged in illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing for tunas, swordfish, sharks and other highly migratory species. Annual global economic losses due to IUU fishing are estimated to be as high as $23 billion.

This action is a first step toward procedures for sharing information about vessels engaged in IUU fishing. Global cooperation to prevent IUU fishing coupled with sound science and effective management are essential to the sustainability of these wide-ranging species that are highly valued in commercial and recreational fisheries. The recommendation means that the nations that make up the five regional fishery management organizations managing highly migratory species in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans and adjacent seas will share information about IUU vessels. RFMO rules require their member nations to prevent IUU fishing in their regions. Sharing information about IUU vessels across the RFMOs means an IUU vessel previously listed in only one region would have more difficulty avoiding detection by moving to another region.

Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing
“Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing undermines the sustainability of fisheries and the ability of fishermen who abide by the rules to make a decent living,” said Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “Sharing information on IUU vessels across oceans will strengthen enforcement and prevent legal and sustainable fishing operations from being disadvantaged in the global marketplace.”

This outcome was a key goal for the NOAA-led U.S. delegation to the third joint meeting of the world’s regional fisheries management organizations that manage tunas and other highly migratory species. This week’s meeting, known as Kobe III because it is the third in a series that began in Kobe, Japan in 2007, was hosted by NOAA in La Jolla, Calif.

“I am pleased with the overall level of cooperation among participants. It has helped us make strides to coordinate measures that improve compliance with international fisheries management,” said Russell F. Smith, NOAA’s deputy assistant secretary for international fisheries, who chaired the meeting. “Now we must focus our efforts on meaningful, binding implementation of these measures within the five tuna regional fisheries management organizations.”

Pirate fishing in Sierra Leone

80% of the animal protein we eat in Sierra Leone comes from the sea. Illegal trawlers steal tens of thousands of US$ from the country most weeks. The Sierra Leone navy has the power to seize these vessels and keep them docked until they pay a hefty fine. In October 2008, the Sierra Leone navy, working together with a UK NGO, the Environmental Justice Foundation, arrested an illegal trawler off Sherbro Island and brought it back to Freetown. The trawler was fined and had to pay the Sierra Leonean government a $30,000 fine.

Just imagine what revenue could be brought to government coffers if the navy was enforcing the international laws of the seas and this at the same time as allowing the local fishermen to fish and feed and support their families.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/illegal-fishing011.html