NOAA
Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco and Maria Damanaki, European Union
commissioner for maritime affairs and fisheries, will sign a historic
statement today pledging bilateral cooperation to combat illegal,
unreported and unregulated fishing, known as IUU fishing—a first for the
longstanding partnership between the U.S. and the E.U. on fisheries
management.
The European Union and United States
rank first and third, respectively, as the world’s top seafood
importers (Japan is second). Globally, illegal fishing deprives legal
fishermen and coastal communities of up to $23 billion of seafood and
seafood products annually. This puts honest fishermen at a disadvantage
in the global marketplace. The U.S. and the E.U. recognize their responsibility to protect the oceans’ vital food and biodiversity resources.
In
today’s statement, the U.S. and the E.U. make it clear that they are
committed to cooperating on combating IUU fishing as the only effective
way of ending these practices. Among other things, they agree to work
together to support the adoption of effective management measures in
regional and international organizations to combat IUU fishing; promote
tools that prevent IUU operators from benefiting economically from their
illegal activities; exchange information on IUU activities; and promote
the sustainable use of fisheries resources while preserving marine
biodiversity.
“Illegal,
unreported and unregulated fishing is one of the most serious threats
to American fishing jobs and fishing communities, as well as to the
health of the world’s oceans,” said Dr. Lubchenco, who is also under
secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere. “International
cooperation across oceans will help us maintain a level playing field
for our fishermen by strengthening enforcement and preventing illegal
fishing.”
"IUU
fishing is a criminal activity, and we have the duty to do everything
possible to stop this practice,” said Damanaki. “Today's agreement will
help us to do just that. By joining forces, we make it harder for
culprits to get away with their dirty business."
Individually,
the United States and the E.U. have already put in place a number of
legal measures to combat IUU fishing, such as the U.S. High Seas
Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act that identifies countries
engaged in IUU fishing and an E.U. regulation that blocks illegal
seafood imports without the required certifications. Both participate
actively in international fishery management organizations and promote
international instruments to address IUU fishing.
“We
will use all the tools at our disposal to clamp down on IUU fishing and
prevent illegal seafood from entering our market. With all the
sacrifices U.S. fisherman have made, they deserve no less.” Dr. Lubchenco said. “The U.S.
and the E.U. share common challenges in fisheries management, so
working together will bring us closer to achieving a shared vision of
sustainable fisheries.”
The U.S.
is turning a corner in ending overfishing and rebuilding stocks.
Landings have increased by more than 200 million pounds and all coastal
regions of the country saw increases in total value of these landings
in 2010, over last year. Meanwhile, the E.U. is in the process of
reforming its Common Fisheries policy designed to rebuild its own
fisheries and is looking to learn from the United States’
success stories. Beyond domestic boundaries, there is an increasing
need for international cooperation, especially among major fishing and
seafood-importing nations, to improve global fisheries management of
shared marine resources and to preserve the associated employment and
other economic benefits of sustainable fisheries.
The document signed today by the United States and the European Union is a building block that will help achieve these goals.
NOAA’s
mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's
environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and
to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Join us on Facebook, Twitter and our other social media channels.
Learn more about NOAA’s work with the International community: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ia/
On the Web:
Bilateral statement: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/http://www.oysterradio.com e-mail manager@oysterradio.com with comments
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