The two governments have been working together for many years on efforts to address illegal fishing. The signing took place in conjunction with the 26th annual Intergovernmental Consultative Committee (ICC) meeting hosted by the United States in Portland, Oregon, on 11 September, where delegations from the two countries discussed ocean and fisheries issues of mutual concern.
The agreement aims to improve coordination among the multiple government agencies in both countries that need to work together to address IUU fishing. In the United States, the agreement has the strong support of the fishing industry based in the Pacific Northwest/Alaska region, as well as the environmental community. This agreement also supports the recommendations of the Presidential Task Force on Combatting IUU Fishing and Seafood Fraud.
“For far too many years the Alaskan crab industry has faced stiff market competition from illegally harvested Russian king crab,” said Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers (ABSC) President Edward Poulsen. “The blatant poaching on the Russian side has impacted not only Alaskan crab fishermen and Alaskan coastal communities, but also legitimate Russian producers and Russian citizens. We welcome this historic agreement and are hopeful that it will result in meaningful action being taken to halt this illegal activity.”
