The European Parliament today adopted a report on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The report highlights the particular responsibility of the EU to step up efforts to combat IUU fishing both by pushing for greater international efforts and by properly implementing EU rules.

“Illegal fishing poses a major threat to vulnerable fish stocks across the world, with IUU fishing accounting for up to one-third of global annual marine catches. While the EU now has stronger rules on illegal fishing, it must to do more to promote effective international cooperation to combat illegal fishing,” rapporteur Isabella Lövin (Greens/EFA) said after the vote.

The European Parliament supports a long list of concrete measures to combat IUU fishing and calls on the European Commission and Member States to take action both internationally and within the EU.

“As the EU imports over 60 percent of its seafood, its responsibility to push for better international cooperation is all the more necessary. There is a need for a common import policy among the major fish importing nations – notably, the EU, the US and Japan – with complete traceability and requirements for catch documents for all fish. This should be complemented by global registers for fish DNA to prevent mislabelling,” said Isabella Lövin.

Links:
Report on combating illegal fishing at the global level – the role of the EU
Press release from Greens/EFA
See videos from the debate on the report

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