evolution and realities of the illegal fishing

21 Pages·2014·0.41 MB·English

EVOLUTION AND REALITIES
OF THE ILLEGAL FISHING
ALEN SOLDO
Department of Marine Studies, University of Split, Croatia
FIGHT AGAINST THE ILLEGAL FISHING (IUU) -COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES 22nd SEPTEMBER 2014, BRUSSELS
ILLEGAL – UNREPORTED - UNREGULATED - (IUU) FISHERIES
IUU fishing generally refers to fishing conducted in violation of national laws or
internationally agreed conservation and management measures in effect in oceans around
the world.
ILLEGAL FISHING REFERS TO ACTIVITIES:
 conducted by national or foreign vessels in waters under the jurisdiction of a State,
without the permission of that State, or in contravention of its laws and regulations;
 conducted by vessels flying the flag of States that are parties to a relevant regional
fisheries management organization but operate in contravention of the conservation
and management measures adopted by that organization and by which the States are
bound, or relevant provisions of the applicable international law;
 in violation of national laws or international obligations, including those undertaken by
cooperating States to a relevant regional fisheries management organization.
FIGHT AGAINST THE ILLEGAL FISHING (IUU) -COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES 22nd SEPTEMBER 2014, BRUSSELS
Non-licensed vessels
Fishing without a license:
 national vessels;
 vessels licensed to fish in an adjacent area that have crossed the boundary to
fish in an area where they are not licensed;
 vessels fishing on the high seas that cross the boundary for the same purpose.
Licensed vessels
Licensed vessels may still fish illegally by contravening the terms and conditions of their
licence:
 using illegal gear;
 catching fish over the allocated quota;
 fishing in closed areas;
 fishing during closed seasons;
 exceeding bycatch limits;
 non- or partial reporting of data;
 submission of erroneous data.
FIGHT AGAINST THE ILLEGAL FISHING (IUU) -COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES 22nd SEPTEMBER 2014, BRUSSELS
UNREPORTED FISHING REFERS TO FISHING ACTIVITIES:
 which have not been reported, or have been misreported, to the relevant national
authority, in contravention of national laws and regulations;
 undertaken in the area of competence of a relevant regional fisheries management
organization which have not been reported or have been misreported, in
contravention of the reporting procedures of that organization.
1. non-reporting
2. mis-reporting
FIGHT AGAINST THE ILLEGAL FISHING (IUU) -COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES 22nd SEPTEMBER 2014, BRUSSELS
UNREGULATED FISHING REFERS TO FISHING ACTIVITIES:
 in the area of application of a relevant regional fisheries management organization that
are conducted by vessels without nationality, or by those flying the flag of a State not
party to that organization, or by a fishing entity, in a manner that is not consistent with
or contravenes the conservation and management measures of that organization;
 in areas or for fish stocks in relation to which there are no applicable conservation or
management measures and where such fishing activities are conducted in a manner
inconsistent with State responsibilities for the conservation of living marine resources
under international law.
Fishing on the high seas by those who fail to sign up to regional management
arrangements and refuse to comply with the conservation and management measures
established by those arrangements.
FIGHT AGAINST THE ILLEGAL FISHING (IUU) -COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES 22nd SEPTEMBER 2014, BRUSSELS
Illustration of types of IUU fishing. Within an EEZ there may be unlicensed fishing (poaching), under- or non-reporting, or
unauthorised fishing by area, seasonal, gear, quota or species. Outside EEZs there may be noncompliance with an RFMO,
or there may be unregulated fishing outsidethe area of an RFMO. Note that many RFMOs also cover adjoining EEZ
waters, but the primary jurisdiction in these cases remains that of the coastal state (MRAG: Review of IUU fishing and
developing countries, 2005).
FIGHT AGAINST THE ILLEGAL FISHING (IUU) -COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES 22nd SEPTEMBER 2014, BRUSSELS
The most common forms of IUU fishing in Africa include (Stop Illegal Fishing, 2008):
 Unauthorised fishing in closed areas/seasons
 Illegal fishing by foreign vessels
 Fishing with fake licenses of vessel registration
 Non-reporting/misreporting of catches
 Fishing protected species
 Taking fish in excess of quota
 Using prohibited gear and methods
 Illegal transhipment
 Landing in unauthorised ports
 Fishing without an observer on board
 Failing to operate a vessel monitoring system
FIGHT AGAINST THE ILLEGAL FISHING (IUU) -COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES 22nd SEPTEMBER 2014, BRUSSELS
Illegal and unreported catch, expressed as a percentage of reported catch, by
species group 2000–2003. (Agnew et al., 2009)
FIGHT AGAINST THE ILLEGAL FISHING (IUU) -COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES 22nd SEPTEMBER 2014, BRUSSELS
HISTORY OF IUU
 development of the distant water fishing fleets of the Soviet Union in the 1950s, followed
by the development of similar fleets by Japan, other Far Eastern states, European states
and the USA in the 1970s: fishery unregulated;
 introduction of RFMOs and EEZs by most states between the late 1970s and mid 1990s,
fishing activity in contravention of management measures has become classified as IUU.
 FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries in 1995;
 FAO INTERNATIONAL PLAN OF ACTION TO PREVENT, DETER AND ELIMINATE ILLEGAL,
UNREPORTED AND UNREGULATED FISHING – 2001;
 Council Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008 of 29 September 2008 establishing a Community
system to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU
Regulation);
 Commission Regulation (EC) No 1010/2009 of 22 October 2009 laying down detailed
rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008;
 White House released a Presidential Memorandum “Establishing a Comprehensive
Framework to Combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing and Seafood Fraud.”
on June 17, 2014;
 Commission warns Philippines and Papua New Guinea over insufficient action to fight
illegal fishing 10th June 2014;
 Commission extends deadline for Curaçao, Ghana and Korea to take steps against illegal
fishing 23rd July 2014.
FIGHT AGAINST THE ILLEGAL FISHING (IUU) -COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES 22nd SEPTEMBER 2014, BRUSSELS
PROPORTION OF IUU
 It is estimated that IUU practises amounts to approximately 10 to 20 billion Euros
every year worldwide representing at least 19% of the worldwide reported value
of catches: This makes IUU fishing the second largest producer of fishery products
in the world.
 Some experts put the annual figure at around 11 million tonnes; others suggest
that it may be as high as 26 million tonnes – equal to 14 or 33 % respectively of
the world’s total legal catch (fish and other marine fauna) in 2011.
BY REGION
 In West Africa zone IUU fishing accounts for an estimated 40 % of fish caught – the
highest level worldwide.
 In the Western Pacific, IUU fishing accounts for 34 % of the total catch.
 In the Northwest Pacific Ocean, especially in the West Bering Sea, IUU fishing
amounts to 33 % of the catch.
 Figures for the Southwest Atlantic are unreliable, but experts estimate that IUU
fishing there amounts to 32 %.
 The EU is a valuable target for IUU operators since it is the largest importer of
fishery products in the world and one of the main producers and exporters
worldwide.
FIGHT AGAINST THE ILLEGAL FISHING (IUU) -COMMITTEE ON FISHERIES 22nd SEPTEMBER 2014, BRUSSELS