A new report by the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) has found that despite the EU IUU Regulation being in place for three and a half years, illegally caught fish is still entering the EU.
When the Regulation came into force on 1 January 2010 it provided a framework for illegal fish to be seized in European ports, flag States to improve their monitoring and control, and coastal States to engage in protecting their marine resources. But flag States without adequate controls over their fishing fleets, and whose vessels are engaged in IUU fishing, are continuing to export fish to the EU.
In the report Keeping Illegal Fishing out of Europe, EJF shares its experience in documenting IUU fishing, highlighting the practical difficulties and providing a number of recommendations to ensure the success of the IUU Regulation. The EJF Oceans team will present the report to the European Parliament’s Fisheries Committee and the European Commission in Brussels this week.
EJF has been using satellite technology and other sources of information to track fish to the European marketplace, and since 2010, has regularly sent the EU Commission documented notifications called ‘IUU Alerts’ to help identify and bring to account those involved in IUU fishing.
EJF says that there are issues with the Regulation that clearly need to be addressed. Steve Trent, Executive Director of EJF, said, “The Regulation could, and should, enable the EU to take a truly global lead in the fight against IUU fishing. Our investigations show that weaknesses in implementation are creating opportunities for IUU fishing operators to avoid detection and continue to access the European seafood market. The Regulation does have the necessary legal and structural foundations for success and robust implementation would make it a very powerful tool for combating IUU fishing globally.”
