Transparency push targets illegal fishing

Marking the International Day for the Fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing on 5 June, the coalition urged the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Fisheries to fully incorporate the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency into its forthcoming Action Plan for a Thriving and Sustainable UK Fishing Industry.

The call comes amid concerns over declining fish stocks and continued illegal fishing activity. According to the coalition, 35% of global fish stocks are fished unsustainably, while half of the UK’s ten most important fish stocks are either critically low, overexploited or both.

Vivien Deloge, UK coordinator for the CFT, said the UK had made progress but needed to go further.

“The UK has currently implemented two out of ten principles of the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency,” she said. “The APPG on Fisheries’ Action Plan is an opportunity to call for the UK to go further, in particular on beneficial ownership information, seafood traceability, transparency of activity information, and remote electronic monitoring of fishing vessels.”

Kyle Lischak, head of UK at ClientEarth, highlighted concerns over vessel ownership.

“A key structural challenge facing the UK fishing sector is the lack of transparency over who ultimately owns and benefits from commercial fishing activity,” he said. “Strengthening beneficial ownership transparency would support both enforcement and the long-term sustainability of the sector.”

Steve Trent, chief executive of the Environmental Justice Foundation, warned that stronger oversight of seafood imports was urgently needed to prevent the UK becoming ‘a dumping ground for fish tainted by illegal fishing and human rights abuses’.

The coalition says implementing the Global Charter would promote transparent, equitable and well-governed fisheries while helping eliminate harmful fishing practices, labour abuses and illegal activity across global seafood supply chains.