The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) has been awarded the second place IMCS Network Stop IUU Fishing Award for its illegal fishing alerts system and community-based fisheries surveillance in Sierra Leone.
EJF works with fishing communities in Sierra Leone and Liberia to monitor vessels and record evidence of trawlers fishing illegally in the Inshore Exclusion Zone (IEZ). Evidence including photographs, video and GPS coordinates of offending fishing trawlers is submitted to coastal, flag and port States to ensure vessels are sanctioned and their catch is not exported to the world’s valuable seafood markets.
Where IUU fish is identified as entering the EU seafood market, EJF’s IUU Alerts are submitted to the European Commission and Member States, who are empowered to block fishery products, investigate boats and take action against ‘non-cooperating’ countries under the EU IUU Regulation, which came into force at the beginning of 2010.
Since January 2010, EJF has received over 275 pirate fishing incidents reported by over 25 different communities and was able to film more than 10 boats in the act of illegal fishing, resulting in fines, fish seizures, and a ‘yellow card’ issued to South Korea.
“It is an honour for EJF to be selected for the prestigious IMCS Network award but most importantly, it is recognition of the ongoing impacts of illegal fishing in Sierra Leone and the courageous efforts of local communities to stop it,” said a spokesperson for EJF.
