Illegal fishing

The European Parliament today adopted a report by Greens/EFA MEP Isabella Lövin on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The report highlights the particular responsibility of the EU to step up efforts to combat IUU fishing both by pushing for greater international efforts and by properly implementing EU rules. After the vote, Isabella Lövin said:

"Illegal fishing poses a major threat to vulnerable fish stocks across the world, with IUU fishing accounting for up to one-third of global annual marine catches. While the EU now has stronger rules on illegal fishing, it must to do more to promote effective international cooperation to combat this damaging practice.

"Given the mobility of fishing vessels, fish stocks, fish products and financing, international cooperation is essential for tackling this problem. This report, adopted by the EP today, suggests various ways in which international community should cooperate to end illegal fishing. We need to ensure that ruthless operators cannot simply change the flag of their vessels to avoid their responsibilities. The EU needs to work more proactively to ensure global action against IUU fishing.

"As the EU imports over 60 percent of its seafood, its responsibility to push for better international cooperation is all the more necessary. There is a need for a common import policy among the major fish importing nations - notably, the EU, the US and Japan - with complete traceability and requirements for catch documents for all fish. This should be complemented by global registers for fish DNA to prevent mislabelling."