The European Parliament proposes new rules extending to the authorisation of fishing vessels operating outside community waters to include private agreements between EU companies and third countries, with the stated aim of increasing transparency and accountability.
This includes proposals to introduce common eligibility criteria for EU vessels’ authorisation and to make part of an EU fishing authorisation register accessible to the public, and this was last week backed by the Fisheries Committee.
‘The EU is one of the major players in the fisheries world and must lead by example. We must use our influence to improve standards and transparency in international fisheries and this regulation is an important step stone in a raise to the top towards sustainable global fishing,’ said the rapporteur Linnéa Engström.
Under these proposed regulations, any EU vessel fishing outside EU waters would need to obtain an authorisation by its flag member state to do so. This authorisation would be requested for all fishing vessels with fishing activities in the framework of a Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA) or under a direct authorisation issued by a third country through a private agreement. It would also cover fishing activities in areas beyond national jurisdiction under the auspices of a regional fisheries management organisation (RFMO) or on the high seas outside such arrangements.
Authorisation would be based on a set of common eligibility criteria which the flag member state would need to check thoroughly. Under this there would be requirements to hold information on the vessel and the skipper, the vessel would be required to have a unique IMO vessel identification number where this is required by Union legislation, and a valid fishing license, while checks that the vessel is not on any IUU black list would also be required.
An EU electronic fishing authorisation register would be set up and a large part of it would be accessible to the public. It would contain data on the IMO number, the details of the company and beneficial owner and the type of authorisation and fishing opportunities.
Vessels that during the two years prior to the application for an authorisation have left a EU register and been reflagged in a third country and subsequently returned to the EU register would only receive the authorisation by the flag state if the state has verified the vessel did not engage in IUU activities nor it operated in a non-cooperating country or a third country identified as allowing non-sustainable fishing.
The draft resolution was adopted by 22 votes to 1 against, and will be put to the plenary vote in February.
The proposal would replace the current Fishing Authorisations Regulation 1006/2008, and would apply to all EU vessels fishing outside EU waters, and to third-country vessels fishing in EU waters.
