Last week Oceana presented two reports in Brussels: “Italian driftnets: the illegal fishing activities continue” and “Thonaille: the use of driftnets by the French fleet in the Mediterranean”. Both reports condemned the continued use of illegal driftnets by the French and Italian fleets in the Mediterranean and proposed measures to be adopted for its elimination, six years after these nets were banned.
During Oceana’s 2007 campaign, a total of 137 vessels associated with the use of these nets were identified. In Italy's case, many of the vessels have received subsidies for conversion to other fishing methods, although they continue to use the illegal gear. The documents presented by Oceana facilitate the analysis of the fleet and the causes that have led to the continued practice of this illegal activity in spite of the conversion plans, EU funding and a variety of measures adopted to avoid it.
During the press conference, the international marine conservation organisation stressed the current context of EU fishery policies. A new regulation is being negotiated within this framework concerning illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing, as well as new measures to improve control over fishing activities in the EU. The current fishery policies have obviously failed to guarantee the application of the current legislation, Oceana said.
Maria José Cornax, marine scientist for the international organisation, affirmed: “When discussing illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, we tend to imagine distant fishing grounds and vessels flying flags of convenience. We don’t realise that the use of driftnets constitutes an IUU fishing activity carried out by our own fleet”.
Regarding control measures, she added: “Based on the analysis of the data obtained in the field and the causes that have led the 137 vessels to continue using this illegal fishing gear, Oceana proposes a series of recommendations applicable to the Mediterranean fleets”.
Most of the measures proposed by Oceana are included within the control regime of EU fishery policies. Examples of the proposals suggested by the organisation include real inspections in fishing ports, real application of 'blue boxes' or Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS), the application of sanctions that are dissuasive enough to avoid the repetition of the infraction, and the returning of subsidies received in the case of fraud.
