The European Union has issued yellow card warnings to Kiribati, Sierra Leone and Trinidad & Tobago as they continue to lag behind in efforts to combat illegal fishing. Sri Lanka has been delisted, having put in place reforms to its fisheries system.
According to a European Commission announcement, Sri Lanka’s red card was lifted, having been judged to have made significant improvements to its fisheries management regime, while Kiribati, Sierra Leone and Trinidad and Tobago have been given stern warnings that progress is expected.
‘Today’s decisions are yet another sign of the EU’s determination to fight illegal fishing globally,’ commented European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Karmenu Vella.
‘It also shows that we can bring important players on board: Sri Lanka has now a robust legal and policy framework to fight illegal fishing activities. As the fight against IUU fishing is part of the EU’s commitment towards sustainability and good ocean governance, each third country that comes on board is an asset.’
The EU’s warning to Kiribati is based on concerns about the country’s capacity to control fishing activities by foreign fleets. There are serious risks that illegally caught fish could be laundered through the ports of Kiribati, as they do not have robust traceability systems in place for fisheries products. Kiribati’s unwillingness to share important information on third country vessels operating in their waters undermines the Commission’s work to improve transparency and sustainability of tuna resources in the Western and Central Pacific.
In Sierra Leone legal texts governing fisheries are outdated and sanctions fail to deter illegal operators operating internationally under the flag of Sierra Leone, without the fisheries authorities’ knowledge. In addition, the number of licensed vessels exceeds the available resources and authorities fail to monitor or control their waters.
Trinidad and Tobago also has a large fleet operating internationally where authorities do not control or inspect foreign vessels, nor co-operate with relevant flag States. The poor traceability system also causes the risk of laundering of fisheries products.
The European Commission has announced that it is proposing an action plan that will help put in place robust fisheries management control systems for these countries. If identified issues are not resolved within six months, the EU can consider taking further steps, including trade sanctions on fisheries imports.
A lengthy dialogue process Sri Lanka has now successfully reformed its fisheries governance system. The country was issued with a yellow card in 2012 and been listed by the Council in February 2015. By today it has amended its legal framework, strengthened sanctions and improved its fleet control.
Sri Lanka joins the growing list of countries (Ghana, Papua New Guinea, Korea, the Philippines, Fiji, Belize, Panama, Togo and Vanuatu) that have reformed their systems, following a warnings from the EU.
In this context, the EU Commission attaches particular importance to the ongoing dialogue with Thailand. The country was warned with a yellow card due to its inadequate fisheries legal framework and poor monitoring, control and traceability systems. Like all pre-identified countries, Thailand was proposed an action plan to address shortcomings. The Commission is currently evaluating progress. The dialogue is proving difficult and there remain serious concerns about the steps taken by Thailand to fight IUU fishing activities. This means that further action by the Commission cannot be ruled out. A meeting with the Thai authorities in May will be a new opportunity for them to show their good will and commitment.
EU Commission
