EU ministers are expected to confirm the blacklisting of non-cooperating states Belize, Cambodia and Guinea in the coming weeks. All three countries will then be banned from exporting fish products to the EU. Moreover, EU fishermen will be prohibited from operating vessels that fly the flag of listed countries, from fishing in their waters and from entering into business or fishing arrangements with governments or fishermen in the countries listed. The listings are based on the EU’s 2008 regulation on IUU fishing.
In November 2012, the European Commission had sent a first warning to Belize, Cambodia and Guinea, alongside five other countries (see Commission Decision), none of which were named in today’s announcement.
Belize is a notorious flag of convenience country.[1] Vessel owners may choose to register their vessel under a so-called flag of convenience to avoid registration fees, taxes, labour laws and fisheries management and control measures.
In recent years, Belize reported fish catches to the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) that are similar in amount to the annual total of France, the EU’s fourth largest fishing nation in terms of catch. Belize’s fish and seafood exports to the EU in 2012 were valued at around €11.5 million, according to Eurostat figures.
Belize will be listed for failing to make credible progress on issues such as:
- compliance with international obligations in terms of fisheries management, enforcement and reporting;
- preventing IUU fishing by its vessels: Belize is or has until recently been associated with at least 9 of the vessels blacklisted by Regional Fisheries Management Organisations;
- establishing an effective and impartial fisheries observer scheme;
- establishing the necessary legal and administrative environment to allow its administration to perform the necessary management and enforcement functions;
- demonstrating a willingness to co-operate with EU officials in tackling enforcement deficits.
Cambodia is another typical flag of convenience country. In 2012, it reported a similar amount of fish catches to the FAO as Croatia, one of the EU’s smaller fishing nations in terms of catch. The Eurostat database does not contain relevant information on fisheries and seafood imports from Cambodia.
Cambodia will be listed for failing to make credible progress on issues such as:
- ratifying most of the relevant international and regional conventions and agreements focused on responsible fisheries management;
- meeting international obligations in relation to fisheries management, enforcement and reporting;
- preventing the use of its flag by vessels that have been engaged in IUU fishing and preventing its own vessels from engaging in IUU fishing; and
- establishing the necessary legal framework to allow its administration to perform the necessary management and enforcement functions.
In recent years, Guinea has reported catches of around 100,000 tonnes, about half of Portugal’s catch (the EU’s number 11 in terms of catch) and less than 1/3 of the catch taken by Dutch vessels (5th in terms of EU catches). Guinea exported fisheries products valued at around €2 million to the EU in 2010, according to Eurostat figures.
Guinea will be listed for failing to make credible progress on issues such as:
- meeting international obligations in terms of fisheries management, enforcement and reporting;
- preventing IUU fishing by its vessels: Guinea is or has until recently been associated with at least 3 of the vessels blacklisted by Regional Fisheries Management Organisation;
- establishing an effective at-sea monitoring scheme;
- establishing a systems that allow for the routine identification of the beneficial owner of vessels;
- establishing the appropriate policy and law framework to allow its administration to perform the necessary management and enforcement functions; and
- demonstrating a willingness to co-operate with EU officials in tackling enforcement deficits.
Yellow cards were given to:
The following three countries were given an official warning by the EU for failing to cooperate in the fight against IUU fishing. A number of specific reasons were given by the Commission, including:
insufficient progress in cooperating with the EU in addressing weaknesses in the control and management of fishing vessels; and
lack of action to address deficiencies in monitoring, controlling and surveillance of fishing activities.
South Korea is one of the global heavy-weights in fishing, with 344 distant-water vessels operating in all the world’s oceans; seemingly usually off the coast of nations that struggle to monitor their own waters. In 2011, it reported catches of 1.5 million tonnes, approximately as much as Spain and Denmark combined (the EU’s two biggest nations in terms of catch). In 2012, it exported fisheries products valued at around €68 million to the EU, according to Eurostat figures.
In April 2013, Greenpeace published a report exposing 34 cases of IUU fishing activities committed by Korean flagged or owned vessels.[2] Subsequently, in June 2013, the Korean Parliament revised its distant-water fisheries legislation, including rules on increased fines for serious cases of IUU fishing and improved regular monitoring of fishing activities. However, given the scale of the problem, Greenpeace is sceptical whether the changes will be sufficient to bring about the necessary reform and proper implementation of international obligations in Korea. Moreover, the Korean government would need to increase the human and financial resources invested in fisheries management and control.
In October, Greenpeace added further weight to the story by publishing data that shows companies involved in IUU fishing activities had received substantial public subsidies from the Korean government in recent years.[3]
Ghana catches roughly as much fish as Germany, which is the eighth biggest fishing nation in terms of catch. Its fish and seafood exports to the EU in 2012 were valued at around €17.3 million, based on Eurostat figures. The Ghanaian flag has frequently been associated with vessels engaged in IUU fishing, including in relation to a number of vessels owned by companies based in South Korea.
Curaçao, until 2010 part of the Netherlands Antilles, has reported a catch that is roughly equivalent to the catch of Belgium, making it one of the smaller fishing nations in the world. However, Curaçao and previously the Netherlands Antilles have been identified as flags of convenience.
Eurostat does not provide data on EU fish and seafood imports from Curaçao, but imports from the Netherlands Antilles were valued at €36.9 million in 2012, based on Eurostat figures.