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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
Time: 8:57 pm
Time: 8:57 pm
Results for illegal fishing (guinea)
1 results foundAuthor: Environmental Justice Foundation Title: Party to Plunder: Illegal Fishing in Guinea and its Links to the EU Summary: In addition to a plethora of earlier international commitments, in November 2005, the UN General Assembly called on States to prohibit their vessels to engage in fishing on the high seas or in areas under the national jurisdiction of other States unless authorized by those States and to deter their nationals from reflagging their ships. The Assembly also called on flag and port States to prevent the operation of substandard vessels and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities and ensure that vessels flying their flags did not engage in transshipping fish caught illegally (www.un.org). Illegal fishing by foreign trawlers in Guinea’s coastal zone is widespread and increasing, despite the attention that has been focussed on illegal fishing by the international community in recent years. Marine resources and the coastal communities that depend upon them are suffering from unsustainable fishing activities, including massive bycatch and discards, problems that are being significantly compounded by the presence of illegal fishing vessels. Illegal fishing is aided by the widespread use of flags of convenience that are used to conceal the identity of the true beneficial vessel owners. Various tactics are used to confuse the identity of fishing vessels, including multiple vessel names and frequent changes in name and registry. Penalising wrongdoers can therefore be very difficult, and penalties do not in many cases serve as sufficient deterrent given the lucrative gains to be made from illegal fishing. Some of the vessels arrested by Guinean authorities have been seen in Las Palmas, Spain, suggesting that illegal fish is being marketed in the European Community. Once the fish has been landed in Las Palmas, it is extremely difficult to track it to its final market destination. There are significant problems in the traceability of fish within the EU to ensure that illegally-caught fish does not enter the marketplace. Guinea has serious problems in keeping these illegally operating vessels at bay, given their lack of logistical and financial resources. A unique and novel experimental method has been tried in recent years by integrating artisanal fishermen in the surveillance system. Despite its promising beginning, the programme is currently facing difficulties and international support is decreasing. Regional efforts and cooperation need to be enhanced in order to ensure that enforcement efforts in one area do not result in displacement of illegal activity to more remote areas where surveillance is lacking. The European Union, as a major market for Guinean fish and an important partner though its bilateral fisheries agreement, has an important role to play. Crucially, the EU must take steps to ensure that it does not facilitate or promote IUU fishing in Guinea, by examining traceability from the sea to the marketplace; ensuring that fishing agreements promote sustainable and legal fisheries; remedying the role of Las Palmas in IUU fishing; and the involvement of EU nationals and associated companies in undertaking IUU fishing in Guinea and elsewhere in the region. Details: London: Environmental Justice Foundation, 2005. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 22, 2013 at: http://www.imcsnet.org/imcs/docs/party_to_the_plunder_guinea.pdf Year: 2005 Country: Guinea URL: http://www.imcsnet.org/imcs/docs/party_to_the_plunder_guinea.pdf Shelf Number: 128074 Keywords: Illegal Fishing (Guinea)Natural ResourcesWildlife Crimes |