Bridges Trade BioRes • Volume 3 • Number 22 • 15th December 2003
ILLEGAL FISHING IN THE SPOTLIGHT
ILLEGAL FISHING IN THE SPOTLIGHT
There has been heightened concern that many species of fish are highly threatened by illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) deep-sea fishing. Two reports on IUU fishing have been released, one by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and another by the environmental group WWF and the wildlife trade-monitoring network TRAFFIC, analysing the threat of illegal fishing to the survival of deep sea fish species. Furthermore, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has formed a task force with the goal of combating illegal fishing.
Reports criticise state of deep-sea fisheries
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) on 3 December released a report on the Implementation of the International Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate IUU Fishing. In the report the FAO calls for immediate action in order to eliminate illegal fishing practices in particular taking into account "that some 75 percent of world fisheries are already being fully exploited, overexploited, or depleted". In June 2004 the FAO is planning a conference addressing the commitments of countries to develop and implement their national plans on IUU fishing. Many countries depending on fishing for economic income as well as for subsistence needs, such as small vulnerable island states, may find it difficult to implement stringent measures to combat illegal fishing, as they lack sufficient technical, institutional and financial resources. The particular situation of these countries has also been debated at the WTO where the clarification and improvement of fisheries subsidies is being negotiated under the Doha mandate. Within the context of the fisheries subsidies negotiations, the WTO Negotiating Group on Rules met in July 2003 to consider a proposal addressing the sustainable development concerns of these states with considerations on special and differential treatment — noting the relatively high dependence of their populations on fisheries (see BRIDGES Trade BioRes, 25 August 2003).
The WWF-Traffic report "Managing Risk and Uncertainty in Deep-Sea Fisheries" pointed out that deep sea fish species have long reproductive cycles and are affected by the fact that 40 percent of the world’s trawling grounds are now in waters deeper than 200 meters. The report addresses four action areas including: moving towards an eco-system based approach to management of deep-sea species and their habitats, maximising the potential to protect deep-sea ecosystems on the high seas, addressing the underlying problem of over-capacity in world fisheries, and adopting a more precautionary approach to the management of deep-sea fish species and their habitats. With regards to addressing the underlying causes of over-capacity in world fisheries, the report highlights in particular fisheries subsidies as one of the main causes of overexploitation, and urges international organisations such as the WTO to eliminate fisheries subsidies.
Task force formed against IUU fishing
The establishment of a new ministerial task force to combat IUU fishing was announced on 30 November in conjunction with the Deep Sea 2003 conference in New Zealand. Ministers from Australia, Britain, Chile, Namibia and New Zealand will form the Task Force, which will be headed by the British Minister of State for the Environment under the auspices of the OECD. The taskforce is set to prepare national, regional and international recommendations on sound, politically realistic and financially viable measures to eliminate or prevent such fishing. Scientists, legal experts and civil society groups will be provided with the opportunity to partake in discussions. The taskforce has initially been established for the next one and a half years.
"Ministerial task force to tackle illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing," OECD PRESS RELEASE, 30 November 2003; "Hodgson to join international pirate fishing taskforce," THE NEW ZEALAND HEARLD, 1 December 2003; "FAO calls for intensified action to combat illegal fishing," FAO PRESS RELEASE, 3 December 2003; "Unregulated Fishing Threatens Deep Sea Species," ENS, 2 December 2003.