EU AND MSIA TO COOPERATE ON CURBING ILLEGAL FISHING

EU AND MSIA TO COOPERATE ON CURBING ILLEGAL FISHING


KUALA LUMPUR, May 15 (Bernama) -- The European Commission, the executive arm
of the European Union (EU), and the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based
Industries will host a seminar on May 18 for local policy makers, stakeholders
and authorities in the fisheries industry to address illegal,unreported and
unregulated (IUU) fishing.

"IUU fishing is a world-wide phenomenon with disastrous environmental and
socio-economic impact,threatening the sustainable exploitation of living aquatic
resources and marine biodiversity.

"It also has serious overall consequences for coastal countries like
Malaysia who lose out on marine resources to illegal operators," the Ambassador
and Head of Delegation of the European Commission to Malaysia, Vincent Piket
said in a statement here Friday.

He also said developing countries paid a particularly high price for illegal
fishing as their stocks are depleted by unlawful operators.

According to Piket, the loss of resources means a loss of revenue for the
coastal states, with legitimate fishermen facing an unfair price competition
from illegal operators who also rob them of their livelihood.

"The EU has been active in the fight against illegal fishing for over a
decade. However, the results achieved at the international level has not
succeeded in reducing the scope of illegal fishing," he said.

For that reason, he explained, the EU had adopted the IUU Regulation to
prevent, deter and eliminate illegal fishing and it will come into force on
Jan 1, 2010.

Prior to the formal adoption of this regulation, the EU was assisting non-EU
countries with its implementation.

"The seminar will help Malaysian authorities adhere to the regulation. We
are hopeful that it will also better equip them to address illegal fishing,"
Piket said.

The EU is also organising a similar seminar in other Asian countries as part
of the information campaign for non-EU countries.
-- BERNAMA