Europêche President Javier Garat has spoken out in favor of the European Commission’s 21 April decision to issue a warning to Thailand regarding its handling of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing.
In a wide-ranging video interview with SeafoodSource, Garat said he supported efforts to control IUU fishing, as fishermen throughout the EU stand to lose when illegal fishing products arrive in local shops.
“Any product which is coming to the European Union is competing with our products,” he said.
The commission has threatened to seek sanctions against Thailand if the Thai government doesn’t demonstrate a stronger commitment to fighting IUU fishing within the next six months. Garat said if it comes to sanctions, he and Europêche would support them.
“We think it’s a very good tool for preventing IUU fishing,” he said.
Garat said he thinks fishermen in his native Spain and throughout the EU have high standards, and fighting IUU fishing will help set better standards for fishing worldwide, making the seafood market better for everyone.
“What we’re trying to convince everybody is to raise up their standards in order to have a level playing field,” he said.
You can see more of Garat's comments in the video below:
