MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Illegal fishing fleets and convenience flags plundering the seas

Illegal fishing fleets are plundering the seas and endangering depleted fish stocks by taking advantage of international rules by which they can adopt “flags of convenience” from other countries to provide a cover for their activities.

A report from the Australian government and conservationist group World Wildlife Fund has estimated that illegal fishing is worth at least 1.2 billion US dollars a year, but the real figure could be up to 10 billion. About 15% of the world's bigger fishing boats are thought to be sailing under flags of convenience, which can be bought for a few hundred dollars.

Claude Martin, director general of WWF International, said the problem of illegal, unregulated and un-reported fishing was "one of the worst examples of unsustainable resource use that adds to the already severe problem of overfishing".

He called for an end to the flag of convenience system. "The large number of flags of convenience fishing vessels severely impairs the ability of responsible countries and regional fisheries management organisations to monitor and control what is happening at sea."

The country under whose flag a vessel flies is responsible under international law for controlling the activities of that vessel to ensure that it abides by national and international regulations, such as fishing quotas and safety and labour standards. However, some countries that allow boats to register and fly their flags for a fee fail to enforce such rules. Some of the most popular countries for crews seeking flags of convenience are Belize, Honduras, Panama and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Many vessels, particularly those pursuing high-value fish such as tuna, swordfish and toothfish transfer their catch to other vessels to launder their illegally caught fish. Many fish are traded at sea rather than in port, making it easier for pirates to circumvent regulations governing the extent of legal catches. WWF believes that illegal fish can be found in most supermarkets.

Mr Martin highlighted the problem of the Canary Islands, owned by Spain, which he said "taints the image of the whole of the European Union". Spain is the biggest fishing nation in the EU and has the largest number of ship owners flying flags of convenience. Such boats also frequently flout rules on health and safety, exploit their workers and avoid taxes.