The United States is threatening to deny acccess to its ports or ban imports of certain seafood products if Italy, Portugal, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela and Panama fail to clamp down on illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
In a report released on Wednesday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration called out the six nations for allowing their vessels to engage in IUU fishing in 2009 and/or 2010 but encouraged them to work with the agency on a solution.
Today’s advisory comes two years after NOAA, in its first-ever report of its kind to Congress, identified six nations — China, France, Italy, Libya, Panama and Tunisia — for allowing their vessels to engage in IUU fishing in 2007 and/or 2008. NOAA said the nations took action by applying penalties to vessels in question or adopting measures to strengthen control of their fishing fleets, or both.
Though Italy and Panama took action to stop IUU fishing, some vessels from two countries still engaged in IUU fishing, including using driftnets illegally and fishing in areas closed to purse seining, according to NOAA.
“We are encouraged that the nations identified in 2009 have taken significant actions to address illegal fishing by their vessels, and we are now reaching out to the six countries identified in today’s report,” said Russell Smith, NOAA’s deputy assistant secretary for international fisheries. “Illegal fishing must be stopped as it subjects our fishermen to unfair competition and undermines efforts to sustainably manage the valuable fish stocks around the world.”
IUU fishing is responsible for up to USD 23 billion annually in global economic losses.
