Elements with tag Thailand
This week, the Council adopted a regulation setting autonomous EU tariff quotas (ATQs) for certain fishery products for the years 2019 and 2020. The ATQ regulation covers species such as tuna, Alaska pollack, cod or flatfish for which a relatively high volume can be imported from non-EU countries at a reduced or zero-duty tariff. Up to 750.000 tonnes of fish will benefit from this scheme and will enter the European markets regardless of their origin, way of production, sustainability of the stock, labour standards or even if the third country has been identified by the EU for illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Europêche believes that, in many cases, ATQs serve the sole purpose of getting a better price from non-EU producers, while putting pressure on EU producers’ prices and employment.
Europêche estime qu’il y a assez de longes de thon venant de la flotte de l’Union et de pays bénéficiant d’accès en franchise de droits au marché européen. Europêche soutient également qu’il existe d’autres espèces variées comme le carrelet, le pangasius, le colin d’Alaska ou le tilapia utilisés communément comme substitut et bénéficiant également d’exonérations sur l’importation malgré une amélioration des stocks.
Europêche considera que existen suficientes lomos de atún procedentes de la flota comunitaria y de los países con acceso libre de aranceles a la UE. Europêche también sostienen que hay otras especies como la platija, panga, abadejo de Alaska y tilapia comúnmente utilizados como productos sustitutivos que también se benefician de las importaciones libres de aranceles a pesar de una importante mejora en los stocks comunitarios.
‘A fisher’s life, a fisher’s future’ has been the motto of the international conference organised by the Fishing Industry Safety and Health (FISH) Platform last week in Thailand. The FISH Platform is a world leading group of experts involved in safety and health in the fishing industry. Globally, most commercial fishers are located in the Southeast Asian region, characterised by a low level of ratification of international conventions aimed at protecting fishers’ health, safety and working conditions. The Platform considered it about time for public authorities, experts, employers and workers to come together to share experiences in the implementation of such conventions, social dialogue, and to jointly push for the sustainable management of the fishing industry. Europêche has joined the call.