Elements with tag UNCLOS
The title perfectly summarises the message unanimously given by governments during the Ministerial Conference on Fishing Vessel Safety and Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, organized by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the Government of Spain in Torremolinos this week. The Conference aims to promote the widespread adoption of the Cape Town Agreement (CTA), a key IMO treaty for safety of fishing vessels, which so far has not entered into force due to low ratification levels1. Thanks to the recent accession of Spain and the boost provided by the Conference, nearly 50 countries signed a Declaration to enhance safety at sea by promoting the entry into force of the CTA and combating IUU fishing.
Desde 2013, los buques de la UE han sido autorizados a pescar cangrejo de nieve en las aguas de Mar de Barents y Svalbard. A pesar de que estos buques llevan una licencia de pesca válida, unos pocos fueron detenidos por las autoridades noruegas, que se niegan a reconocer el derecho legítimo de los buques de la UE a operar de manera sostenible y legal en esta área. Hasta la fecha, 19 barcos grandes de varios países de la UE permanecen atados en el puerto por miedo a ser arrestados. Un reciente fallo de un tribunal noruego ha declarado ilegítimas las restricciones noruegas y contrarias a las obligaciones internacionales asumidas por Noruega.
Depuis 2013, les navires de l'UE ont été autorisés à pêcher le crabe des neiges dans les eaux de la mer de Barents et de Svalbard. Bien que ces navires possèdent une licence de pêche valide, quelques-uns ont été arrêtés par les autorités norvégiennes, qui refusent de reconnaître le droit légitime des navires de l'UE de fonctionner de manière durable et juridique dans ce domaine. À ce jour, 19 grands bateaux de plusieurs pays de l'UE restent attachés au port par peur d'être arrêtés. Une récente décision de la Cour norvégienne a déclaré les restrictions norvégiennes illégitimes et contraires aux obligations internationales assumées par la Norvège.
Since 2013, EU vessels have been authorised to fish for snow crab in the Barents Sea and Svalbard waters. Even though these vessels carry a valid fishing license, a few were arrested by the Norwegian authorities, who refuse to recognise the legitimate right of EU vessels to sustainably and legally operate in this area. To date, 19 large boats from several EU countries remain tied up in port out of fear of being arrested. A recent Norwegian court ruling has declared Norwegian restrictions illegitimate and contrary to the international obligations undertaken by Norway.
The EU fishing industry is calling for immediate EU action to stop Norway and Faroe Islands in their massive overfishing of the Northeast Atlantic mackerel stock. We reiterate our call on the EU Commission and Council to act swiftly and decisively on this reckless and irresponsible behaviour by using the instruments at its disposal such as trade measures and the IUU regulation.