Investigation
reveals how 9 out of 10 vessels documented illegally fishing in
Sierra Leone are accredited to export their catches to Europe
A
damning report released today by the Environmental Justice Foundation
exposes “the continued role” of the European Union and East Asian
countries in facilitating a market for seafood illegally caught in
West Africa. The report follows a two-year investigation by
Foundation titled “Exposing
Pirate Fishing: The Fight Against Illegal Fishing in West Africa and
the EU” and
highlights how local fishing communities are fighting back to combat
“this illegal trade”. Minister of Fisheries, Dr Soccoh Kabia says
government has put more measures in place to curb the situation. We
hope to speak to him in detail later. Meanwhile full press
release follows:
“Investigation
reveals how 9 out of 10 vessels documented illegally fishing in
Sierra Leone are accredited to export their catches to Europe.
A
damning report released today exposes the continued role of the
European Union and East Asian countries in facilitating a market for
seafood illegally caught in West Africa. Following a two-year
investigation by The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF),
“Exposing
Pirate Fishing: The Fight Against Illegal Fishing in West Africa and
the EU” highlights
how local fishing communities are fighting back to combat this
illegal trade.
During
the two-year surveillance investigation, EJF documented rampant
pirate fishing in Sierra Leone and laundering of the illegal catch
into the European seafood market by vessels accredited to export fish
to the EU.
The
vessels were found to be out of control: fishing well inside
exclusion zones, attacking local fishers, refusing to pay fines,
covering their identification markings, using banned fishing
equipment, transhipping fish illegally at sea, refusing to stop for
fisheries patrols, bribing enforcement officers, fleeing to
neighbouring countries to avoid sanctions, and committing labour
violations.
West
African waters are estimated to have the highest levels of illegal,
unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the world, representing
up to 37% of the region’s catch. Along with the economic losses,
pirate fishing in West Africa has devastating impacts on coastal
communities by severely compromising food security, local
livelihoods, the health of fish stocks and the marine environment in
some of the world’s poorest countries.
Key
findings of the report include:
252
reports of illegal pirate fishing by
industrial vessels in inshore areas were made to EJF’s community
surveillance project by 23 coastal communities in an 18-month period
Despite
the EU Regulation to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported
and Unregulated fishing, evidence
collected on 10 vessels believed to account for the majority of
reports revealed that nine are accredited to export their catches to
the EU, the
world’s most valuable import market for fish
90%
of vessels documented by EJF in West Africa were bottom trawlers
which
devastate marine environments by dragging heavy trawl equipment along
the seabed resulting in damage to the bottom habitat, high levels of
by-catch including vulnerable marine life such as sharks and turtles
Evidence
of extensive
use of Flags of Convenience
Evidence
of increasing
volumes of illegal catches being transhipped at sea onto
large refrigerated cargo vessels destined for East Asia
Photos
of physical violence against
a local fisher who was knocked unconscious with an iron bar
retrieving hooks from a South Korean trawler net
How
the proper application
of technology such
as Vessel Monitoring Systems / GPS units can help combat
illegal pirate fishing
The
important role
of local communities in successful sustainable fisheries management
EJF
has been working in partnership with local fishers and coastal
communities in Sierra Leone since the beginning of 2010 to document
and report illegal fishing. The groundbreaking community surveillance
project resulted in a collection of evidence that has been used to
report illegal activities to the Sierra Leone government, the South
Korean government, and the EU.
EJF’s
investigations have had important results, leading to over US
$500,000 in fines for illegal vessels and ongoing investigations by
the EU, South Korea, and Panama. The EU is believed to be considering
blacklisting the vessels involved in the investigation under the EU
IUU Regulation, which would mean they would be prevented from
exporting fish to the EU and be blocked from accessing European
ports.
As
well as calling for the vessels to be blacklisted, EJF wants
weaknesses in the EU IUU Regulation to be addressed so that illegally
caught fish cannot get access to the European seafood market.
Victor
Kargbo, head of Fisheries Enforcement in Sierra Leone, said:
“We
have turned the corner in the fight against pirate fishing in Sierra
Leone but if we don’t coordinate our efforts, these unscrupulous
operators will just go elsewhere and continue their activities
unabated. The EU can play a crucial role in deterring illegal fishing
by making sure all fish entering has a catch certificate, but they
should only accept imports from flag States that monitor their fleets
properly.”
EJF
Executive Director Steve Trent said:
“We
are encouraged by the success of community surveillance in Sierra
Leone but we are also very concerned by the weaknesses in European
controls that our investigations have revealed. The EU is relying too
heavily on the assurances of flag States that plainly are not
monitoring their fishing fleets in West Africa. Authorities
inspecting fish in European ports have very little reliable
information on what is happening in the areas where it is caught.
EJF’s community surveillance project is going some way to address
this information gap, but we must urgently improve communication
between the EU and coastal States if we are serious about ending
pirate fishing and protecting some of the world’s most vulnerable
coastal communities.”
© Politico
11 October 2012
