Tag: illegal fishing

Responding to advice on Baltic fish stocks released by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), campaign group "Our Fish" called on Baltic Sea Fisheries Ministers to take urgent action, to prevent the collapse of the region’s cod fisheries.

On May 23, pirates hijacked an Iranian fishing vessel off Somalia, in order to use it as a mothership for attacking a bigger ship. Crews often disregard the authorities' recommendations and travel far closer to pirate-infested shores.

The Liberian Maritime Authority issued a Marine Advisory, concerning the precautions needed when navigating waters in and around Ningbo-Zhoushan, China, in order to bring attention to recent collisions involving Chinese fishing and Liberian flagged vessels and provide additional information to assist Master’s in safely navigating highly congested waters in the East China Sea.

A new report by OEF, OBP and Secure Fisheries, highlights that it is not only piracy that affects maritime security in Somali land, but other complex issues as well, such as illegal fishing, coastal violence, and human trafficking. In particular, there are eight important factors which create an insecure maritime environment in Somali waters.

The Coast Guard and Navy completed a 18-day joint mission in the Central and South Pacific, under the Oceania Maritime Security Initiative to combat transnational crimes, enforce fisheries laws and enhance regional security.

The European Union announced that is forging ever stronger green and blue links to Indonesia, the largest archipelagic country in the world, as both recognize that the success of the 'blue', sustainable ocean economy depends on keeping oceans healthy. EU is taking the lead to protect oceans and improve ocean governance around the globe and, on this context, they are to host the fourth "Our Ocean" conference in October 2017.

An international agreement that has been instrumental in repressing piracy and armed robbery against ships in the western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden has seen its scope significantly broadened to cover other activities, including human trafficking and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing

Each year, up to 26 million tons of fish are stolen from our seas. Panama now joins 36 other countries and the European Union in ratifying the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA), an international treaty aimed at curbing illegal fishing.

The US Department of Justice announced that in federal court, the captain of a commercial trawler pleaded guilty to federal charges regarding the illegal harvest and sale of Atlantic Striped Bass from federal waters off the coast of North Carolina in 2010.

Overfishing leads to serious consequences for marine ecosystems. EU requires an end to overfishing by by 2020 at the latest. Restoring fish stocks to sustainable levels through science-based management is essential not just because it is the law, but also because it will help ensure a healthy marine environment for generations to come.