A five-man panel spoke in favor of the European Commission’s announcement today at Seafood Expo Global 2015 regarding the lifting of warnings against two nations and threats of sanctions against another over management of illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing.
The panel, chaired by Karmenu Vella, commissioner of the environment, maritime affairs and fisheries, also included Kim Young-Suk, vice minister for agriculture, food and rural affairs for the Republic of Korea; Peter Andrews, sustainability policy officer for the British Retail Consortium (BRC); and Guus Pastoor, president of the European Fish Processors Association. The panel also included Steve Trent, executive director of the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), who spoke on behalf of the EJF, Oceana, Pew Charitable Trusts and the World Wildlife Fund.
The panel followed Vella’s announcement earlier in the day that the commission is issuing a “yellow card” warning to Thailand. The commissioner said if Thailand did not step up its efforts to fight IUU fishing in six months, the commission could seek seafood-related trade sanctions against the country.
Meanwhile, the commission also announced it was lifting similar warnings against Korea and Philippines, prompting Young-Suk to express his “heartfelt appreciation” in his remarks.
“Today, Mr. Vella kindly gave us a green card,” he said.
Among other changes, Young-Suk said his country now has a legal institutional framework in line with international law. The country has also set up an international hotline to report IUU fishing.
Vella noted that the estimated worldwide volume of IUU product being fished is several times the average annual total legal fishing production in the EU, making this an important issue to fight.
“It is a threat especially to fishermen who are respecting international regulations,” he said.
Andrews noted that if IUU fishing product makes it into the United Kingdom, it could wind up on the shelves of his organization’s member companies, making the issue an important one for the BRC, too.
“We are keen supporters of the regulations,” he said.
Pastoor, calling Europe the “frontrunner” in fighting IUU fishing, pledged his organization’s support of the commission’s efforts.
“We think that there is a good way we can work with the authorities,” he said.
During questions with reporters, Trent acknowledged that the scope of the problem is massive, and there is no one solution that will solve it overnight.
“Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good,” he said.
Vella echoed Trent’s sentiments, acknowledging that the problem of IUU fishing will take some time and work to solve.
“We’re talking about a huge and enormous criminal activity,” he said.
