Yesterday, EU member states fishing ministers backed the European Commission in their efforts against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing. Agreement was absolute to support the fight against perceived widespread abuses.
Read More here from undercurrent news
Belize, Cambodia, and Guinea have all been blacklisted. Fish caught by their fleet or from their waters will no longer come into Europe.
Other countries are under investigation by the European Commission. South Korea, Ghana, Curaco have all be warned to address their fisheries. And Panama, Fiji, Togo, Sri Lanka and Vanuatu have been given until the spring of 2014 to implement the measures they have told the EU Commission they would introduce.
It seems a few countries thought the EU was bluffing. They have just learned the EU is very serious about taking and beating Pirate fishing.
Around $10 billion a year of fish caught is from IUU fisheries.
Europe has learned from its on battles taking on illegal fishing in its own waters. Taking on the Blue Fin Tuna illegal fishing in the Med took years and tens of millions of euros of taxpayers money to bring an out of control fisheries back into line.
Sometimes people may forget that the EU is established on the idea of the “rule of law”. This means that no country, person or industry is above the law. 3 countries yesterday were reminded of that very simple idea.
See: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/agricult/141823.pdf