EU may ban fish from Sri Lanka over illegal fishing concerns
The EU has proposed a ban on fish imports from Sri Lanka over concerns about illegal fishing. It is satisfied, however, that several other countries are committed to tackling the problem.
The EU has been in discussions with Sri Lanka about illegal and unreported fishing for 4 years, attempting to combat an activity that depletes fish stocks, destroys marine habitats and puts people who fish legally at an unfair disadvantage.
The proposed ban on fish imports from Sri Lanka comes after it failed to show that it had adequately addressed illegal activities during that time, including
failure to comply with international regulations
lack of an adequate system for monitoring boats
insufficient deterrents in place.
In 2013, the EU imported 7,400 tonnes of fish from Sri Lanka, with a total value of €74m. The ban would take effect in January 2015.
Improvements elsewhere
At the same time, the EU has announced that 5 other countries that received formal warnings alongside Sri Lanka in November 2012 - Belize, Fiji, Panama, Togo and Vanuatu - have successfully taken action since then.
The EU is satisfied that these countries have introduced new legislation, improved the monitoring and control of fishing activities, and demonstrated a commitment to tacking illegal fishing.
Current trade restrictions on fish imports from Belize may now be lifted.
Tackling illegal fishing
It is estimated that between 11m and 26m tonnes of fish are caught illegally around the world each year, with a total value of about €10 billion. This represents at least 15% of all catches.
The EU introduced regulations in 2010 to prevent illegally caught fish being sold in Europe.
This has involved:
investigating boats suspected of fishing illegally
refusing certain imports
working with countries outside the EU to improve controls.
The origin and legality of fish being traded into and out of the EU must be certified.
Press release - illegal fisheries