June 10, 2014 — The Pew Charitable Trusts Ending Illegal Fishing Project praised the European Commission today for officially warning the Philippines and Papua New Guinea for their failure to sufficiently fight fisheries crimes.
The Commission’s warning, known as a ‘yellow card’, means that if the two countries continue to perform poorly in the effort to end illegal, unreported, and unregulated, or IUU, fishing they will be banned from importing seafood into the European Union and face other sanctions.
Illegal and unreported fishing accounts for 1-in-5 wild-caught marine fish, a haul worth up to EUR 17 billion (US$23.5 billion) per year.
EU standards for good performance in the fight against IUU fishing require that countries effectively monitor their fishing fleets, punish the owners of vessels found guilty of illegal fishing and maintain or develop robust national fisheries laws.
Pew applauded the Commission’s decision, which brings to five the number of countries on the yellow list. Curacao, Ghana, and South Korea made the list in 2013 and could be red-listed if they do not improve their practices.
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