So called illegal, unreported and unregulated, fishing (IUU) is worth billions of dollars a year and hits both fish stocks and the efforts to manage fisheries in a sustainable way.
IUU fishing ruthlessly ignores fish conservation measures – often in parts of the world where fisheries enforcement is weak – and commonly at the expense of impoverished local fishermen.
The EU is the largest market for fish and importer of fishery products with trading partners across the world. But it is estimated that 1.1 billion euros worth of IUU products are imported every year.
In a bid to stem this trade new EU laws means that exporters of all seafood products to Europe – including canned, frozen, and processed fish – must provide catch certificates from the flag state detailing where the fish has came from, identifying the species and verifying it has been caught legally.
The rules apply to most EU imports of wild marine fish species caught after 1 January, 2010.
The rules do not apply to fish caught prior to 1 January 2010 but importers may be required to prove that fact to the satisfaction of enforcement officers before the goods can be put in free circulation.
The Marine and Fisheries Agency is implementing the IUU regulation in close collaboration with other government agencies and delivery partners, and hopes to set up a London based IUU office at Billingsgate market.
