Patrol vessel HMNZS Wellington departs on Sunday for the Southern Ocean from Dunedin to monitor the annual fishing season in the Ross Sea region in an attempt to stamp out illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the area.
A groundbreaking international accord aimed at stamping out illegal fishing went into effect on Sunday and is now legally binding for the 29 countries and a regional organization that have adhered to it.
The Argentine news agency Pescare reports that the repeated illegal incursion of Asian vessels in Argentina's Exclusive Economic Zone prompted the issue to be addressed during the recent meeting of the bilateral Argentina/China Subcommittee on Fisheries.
Illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing is about to become much more difficult thanks to the imminent entry into force of the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA), a ground-breaking international accord championed by FAO.
Almost two months of efforts coordinated by Interpol with the cooperation of seven countries on four continents, the Indonesian Armed Forces arrested one of the most wanted poaching fishing vessels. On January 29, the Chinese flagged Hua Li 8 was detected fishing within the EEZ of Argentina, which triggered an immediate operation to arrest the vessel. But despite the display of patrol vessels and aircrafts, and warning shots, the vessel managed to escape.
The United States has brought added momentum to global efforts targeting illegal fishing by adhering to a FAO-brokered international pact.US Ambassador to the United Nations agencies in Rome, David Lane, this week formally presented FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva with the US' instrument of ratification of the Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing.
High-level delegations of fisheries ministries from more than 50 countries are gathering in Agadir, Morocco for a summit with industry players to discuss emerging governance needs in a sector that provides the world with 17% of its animal protein and developing countries with more export revenue than meat, tobacco, rice and sugar combined.
World Trade Organization members, including Argentina and Uruguay, have agreed on the need to reduce fishing subsidies so as to contribute to the conservation of fishing resources worldwide. This decision was taken because WTO is convinced that fisheries subsidies contribute to economic losses in the fisheries sector, leaving serious impact on food security and livelihoods, particularly in developing countries, Star Business Report reported.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Marine Management Organization (MMO) co-hosted a workshop on ensuring global compliance with illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing regulations, demonstrating the UK’s continued lead in the fight against illegal fishing.
The 34th meeting of the Commission for the Conservation of Marine Living Resources closed Friday in Hobart, Tasmania with the unexpected emergence of China as a supporter for a revised Ross Sea MPA. The Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC) described the Commission’s slow progress to live up to its conservation responsibilities as “challenging”.