EC allows Philippines more time to curb illegal fishing

MANILA, Philippines - The European Commission has granted a six month extension to the Philippines to finalize the adoption and implementation of measures against illegal fishing to prevent trade sanctions on Philippine fisheries imports.

The Commission also granted six month extensions to Papua New Guinea and Ghana as they work towards eradicating illegal fishing in their countries and implementing the necessary changes.

The Philippines, Papua New Guinea and Ghana had been issued with warnings for not doing enough to address their fisheries control weaknesses.

Some of the shortcomings identified by the Commission included weak legislation, a lack of a system of sanctions to deter illegal fishing activities or deficiencies in systems for the monitoring, control and surveillance of fisheries.

The Commission acknowledged that the three countries have made credible progress in fulfilling their international obligations by amending their legal framework, improving control and monitoring systems and are taking a proactive role in complying with international rules.

But the three countries still need more time to finalize the adoption and implementation of these measures.

The European Union (EU) has been working closely with the three countries to help them make the necessary changes and the extension is testament to the EU’s  commitment and to its leading approach to fighting illegal fishing.

European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Karmenu Vella said, “I am pleased that the Philippines and Papua New Guinea have taken their warnings seriously, and that Ghana continues to cooperate closely with the Commission.”

He said all three countries have shown political will and have made tangible progress in fighting illegal fishing.

“That is why I am offering each country an additional six months and I look forward to seeing their hard work bear fruit later this year,” Vella said.

The Commission stressed that “Had the countries not made significant and demonstrable improvements within the initial six months, the EU could have taken further steps including trade sanctions on fisheries imports, such as those taken against Guinea, Belize, Cambodia and Sri Lanka.”

In March 2014, upon proposal of the Commission, the Council of Ministers adopted trade measures against Belize, Cambodia and Guinea for their lack of commitment to tackling the problem of illegal fishing. The Council adopted similar measures against Sri Lanka in January 2015.

The decision against Belize was revoked in December 2014 following a significant improvement in fisheries governance by this country. Fisheries products caught by vessels from identified non-cooperating countries cannot be imported into the EU.

In June 2014, the EU announced that it had made a decision which highlights areas where the Philippines is not yet doing enough to fight illegal fishing.

It identifies certain shortcomings, such as lack of actions to address deficiencies in monitoring, controlling and surveillance of fisheries, and suggested corrective actions to resolve them.

The EU is committed to the sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources at home and abroad. It considers illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing a global criminal activity harmful not only to EU fishermen, but also to local communities in developing countries.

In the light of the dependence of Philippine coastal communities on fisheries, the EU is keen to co-operate with the Philippines to help ensure the sustainability of their livelihood and global fisheries.

The fight against illegal fishing is part of the EU drive to ensure the sustainable use of the sea and its resources. As the world’s biggest fish importer the EU aims to close its markets to illegally caught fish.

European Commissioner Maria Damanaki, in charge of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, assured, “This is not a black list, but a yellow card. We want the Philippines as a partner to combat illegal fishing. We want the country to improve its legal and control systems as required by international rules. But we also want to signal to the world that the EU will not tolerate IUU fishing – a criminal activity which undermines the livelihood of fishing communities and depletes fish stocks. It must be eradicated by all means.”

The EU offered technical assistance support to help the Philippines meet the requirements.

The Commission believes that the Philippines has so far not fulfilled its duties as flag, coastal, port or market states in line with international law, such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement.

Areas that are ripe for improvement include the traceability system that should be able to ensure the legality of the fishery products exported to the EU, greater control on the long-distance fleet operating in Papua New Guinea waters and the development of a solid legal framework with a deterrent system of sanctions.

The EU proposed an Action Plan to deal with the outstanding issues.

With serious threat posed by illegal fishing, the EU is able to take certain trade measures against non-cooperative states including a ban on that country selling fisheries products to the EU.

The Commission’s decision (the third of its kind) is a result of a thorough analysis and took into account the country’s level of development. It follows a long period of informal discussions that started in 2012.

The decision starts a formal procedure of dialogue and cooperation with the Philippines aimed at solving the established shortcomings.