Oceana in Europe’s Post

🐟 EJF Ocean Policy Officer Jesús Urios Culiañez is at FAO HQ in Rome for crucial General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) meetings on #fisheriesmanagement! EJF joins these discussions on combating illegal fishing, enhancing compliance with international legislation, and advocating for more transparency in the #Mediterranean. EJF, Oceana Europe, and The Nature Conservancy are urging GFCM and coastal countries to: 📹 Explore the use of Remote Electronic Monitoring technologies to address by-catch, promote sustainable fishing practices and enhance compliance with GFCM decisions. 🔍 Increase #transparency by disclosing beneficial ownership information and require unique International Maritime Organization identification numbers for vessels to combat #IUU, aligning the GFCM with international standards We will continue pushing for reforms in the UN and elsewhere to protect the unique biodiversity of the Mediterranean and the coastal communities that depend on it 🌍

The European Parliament’s plenary has voted today for more transparency to prevent the entry of illegal seafood on the EU market, but also endorse destructive fishing within protected areas and compromise the fight against overfishing in European waters: ✅ More transparency to prevent illegal seafood entering EU ❌ Destructive fishing in protected areas ❌ Compromising fight against overfishing in mixed fisheries Ahead of EU elections, these votes are a poor legacy to halt marine biodiversity loss and secure a prosperous future for coastal communities. See Oceana's reaction: https://lnkd.in/dCruntgN

A new poll by Oceana in Europe reveals that 84% of citizens in Belgium, Cyprus, France and Spain, want more information about the seafood they eat, including processed products like fish fingers, and in restaurants. 🐟   When buying seafood, consumers are asking for information on species, origin, fishing method and environmental sustainability, allowing them to make informed choices. It’s time for the EU to take action. We call on Commissioner-designate for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis, and the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries to listen to EU citizens and revise the Common Market Organisation Regulation to meet these demands. Learn more ➡️ https://lnkd.in/d_9cf5by

The regional government of Andalusia, Spain has sounded the alarm that the decision by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) to annul trade agreements between the EU and Morocco in the areas of fisheries and agriculture will “severely harm” the Andalusian fishing fleet. The ruling specifically impacts 45 Andalusian vessels that operate using purse seine nets and small-scale fishing methods, most of which are based in the Gulf of Cádiz. According to Spanish media reports, Ramón Fernández Pacheco, the Andalusian Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, explained that the main fishing grounds used by this Andalusian fleet under the agreement are off the northern coast of Morocco, far from the Western Sahara waters that were the focus of the court case. Read more: https://bit.ly/47ZgSyG #mwn #moroccoworldnews #spain #morocco #CJEU #eu #andalusia

Opaque, global supply chains are driving environmental destruction and human rights abuses at sea – we need more transparency to ensuring we know where the fish on market shelves is coming from. The Global Charter for Transparency sets out 10 key, low-cost, and readily available principles for states to implement. These include: ➡️ Publishing comprehensive and up-to-date fishing vessel license lists ➡️ Making public beneficial ownership of vessels ➡️ Stop the use of flags of convenience and at-sea trans-shipment ➡️ Ratify and comply with international instruments that set clear standards for fishing vessels and the trade in fisheries products Read it here: https://lnkd.in/eF4QnPNe

The 22 billion-dollar question is: Are governments investing in the health of our ocean or accelerating its decline? Each year, countries around the world dole out a total of more than $22 billion in harmful fisheries subsidies—enabling unsustainable fishing practices, depleting fish stocks and harming the livelihoods of communities who depend on them. In June 2022, the World Trade Organization (WTO) took a monumental step towards preserving our ocean by adopting a landmark agreement to stop funding overfishing. Later this month, more than 160 nations will convene in Abu Dhabi for the WTO’s 13th Ministerial Conference. The urgency to act has never been greater. The WTO must address the pressing issues at hand, setting the stage for a more sustainable and responsible global fishing industry. Our ocean can’t wait. #MC13 #StopFundingOverfishing #Fisheries #IUU

To best represent India`s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, it is imperative that the Indo-Lanka Joint Working Group (JWG) on Fisheries is revived at the first opportunity, and constructive steps be taken to prevent poaching of marine resources in Sri Lankan waters by South Indian fishermen. On 25th June 2024, a sailor of the Sri Lankan Navy succumbed to his injuries as a result of ‘aggressive maneuvers’ adopted by an Indian trawler to resist arrest off the waters in Kankasanturai, Jaffna. The trawler with the 10 fishermen on board have been handed over to the Sri Lanka Police, and now await prosecution for trespassing into Sri Lankan territorial waters, reckless piloting of the vessel and causing the death of a personnel of the Sri Lanka Navy. Sri Lanka has conveyed its concerns to New Delhi of the incident and the practice of IUU fishing by its fishermen. It has been reported that a formal note has been conveyed to the Indian High Commission in Colombo by the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2024, Sri Lanka Navy has apprehended 214 Indian fishermen and 28 boats, originating predominantly from Tamil Nadu. Detention of these vessels at sea has become difficult due to their large numbers and the lack of resources on the part of Sri Lanka. The Indian vessels are more technologically equipped, built from steel and use evasion tactics which could be deemed as aggressive in order to evade capture. Despite the establishment of the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) between India and Sri Lanka in 1974 (and the transfer of sovereignty of Kachchativu Island to Sri Lanka), the poaching by Indian fishermen continues. The Sri Lankan Ministry of Fisheries estimate that at present, around 500 Indian bottom trawlers enter Sri Lankan territorial waters, their catch causing a daily economic loss of Sri Lanka Rupees 350 million. These fishermen carryout bottom trawling practices, which have been outlawed in Sri Lanka since 2017. The issue is severely affecting the livelihoods of fishermen and their kin in Northern Sri Lanka. Long term abuse of the maritime resources in the Palk Bay waters could result in environmental degradation and loss of fish stocks. In the medium term, it may create socio-economic vulnerabilities amongst the ethnic Tamil fisheries community.

The situation in the South China Sea remains contentious, with China's Coast Guard asserting its jurisdictional rights. The issue of floating aggregate devices, or "payao," adds complexity, as they can pose navigational hazards and harm marine ecosystems. Balancing maritime security concerns with environmental sustainability is crucial for the region's stability and prosperity.

🌊 When information about the use of our ocean is available and accessible to everyone it affects, we can better protect our marine resources and the people who depend on them. ⚓ Under an international vessel tracking agreement—rooted in transparency, States, regional fisheries management organizations and international bodies can move the needle forward in addressing challenges brought forth by inconsistent regulations. 🐟 Such a framework would bring greater accountability, build compliance and help protect fishers globally. More here: bit.ly/3xqJbbu