Elements with tag AIS
After tracking the satellite messages transmitting the position of 70.000 fishing vessels for the past 4 years, a group of researches [1] claim that commercial fishing covers over 55% of the ocean's surface. As a result, their study states that the area fished is four times bigger than the area occupied by agriculture in terms of square kilometres. Europêche argues that the study does not provide any new insight since fishing vessel monitoring systems have been widely implemented and enforced across the oceans for decades showing the exact location of our vessels to the competent authorities. In addition, the report is based on scientifically unsound data, overestimates the proportion of the seabed where fishing occurs and has little use for fisheries management.
• The so-called illegal fishing by EU vessels makes no sense in light of last week’s Compliance Committee in IOTC demonstrating the compliance of our fleet. • The report uses non-reliable data based on estimates and assumptions to unfairly accuse the EU tuna fleet of non-compliance with rules.