Friday, 4th December 2009
Pirate fishing causing global catastrophe
Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) is destroying fish stocks causing massive job losses in West Africa and leading to widespread hunger and deprivation.
This was the stark message given to MEPs at a seminar in the European Parliament, Brussels, today (3 December) by MPs and NGOs from West African nations including Mauritania and Sierra Leone.
The seminar was organised and chaired by Struan Stevenson MEP, Conservative Euro MP from Scotland, who is Senior Vice-President of the Fisheries Committee. Speaking after the seminar he said:
"Pirate vessels from China, Korea and Russia are plundering the rich fish stocks of West Africa, often fishing right up to the shoreline, destroying nets and gear used by local fishermen and sometime crashing into small wooden canoes, killing young African fishermen. Their bottom trawling gear destroys delicate corals and wrecks the eco-system.
"Much of the huge catches are trans-shipped to larger vessels where illegal fish are mixed with legally caught fish. These are then landed in Las Palmas and sold throughout the EU. The trade in IUU fish costs Africa an estimated $1 billion per year.”
He added:
"Worse still, by wiping out fish stocks and undermining biodiversity, it is estimated that more than 600,000 African jobs are being put at risk, in some of the poorest countries in the world.
"This is a global catastrophe and our seminar was designed to raise awareness of the plight of these developing countries and the EU's role in encouraging pirate fishing to feed our growing demand for fish.
"As the largest market for fish in the world, the EU has responsibility in playing a key role in the fight against IUU fishing.”
