Source Commonwealth Secritariat
2 September 2009
Study warns of potential threat from incoming EU regulation
A little-known European Union regulation coming into force in January next year could have a major impact on the health of fishing industries in developing countries, according to a new study.
The EU is the single largest consumer of fish in the world, accounting for around 40 per cent of global imports. Such is the continent’s appetite for aquatic life, the cumulative net fish exports from developing countries now exceed earnings from coffee, bananas and rubber.
But near-unfettered access to the European market for developing countries is set to end with the adoption of new legislation to help eradicate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices and ensure the sustainability of worldwide fish stocks.
Countries face losing millions in exports
The IUU Regulation - to be implemented from January 2010 - puts in place strict conditions on countries that want to maintain access to the lucrative European market.
What is IUU fishing?
Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is an international economic crime involving vessels which contravene the laws of a coastal or regional fishery, underreport or misreport the scale of their catch, or do not adhere to the rules of the local governing authority. IUU fishing contributes to the depletion of fish stocks through overfishing and threatening habitats. Any decrease in fish catch in one part of the world threatens both the food security of fish-importing states as well as global food supply.
“Consignments of fish caught after 1 January which are exported to [European Union] countries without a validated catch certificate will be refused entry,” says Professor Martin Tsamenyi, Director of the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security and co-author of a Commonwealth Secretariat study on the impact of this regulation.
Under the new rules, which include the adoption of portal controls on fishing vessels and the creation of a list of approved vessels and a list of non-co-operating third countries, only nations that can demonstrate that they are free of IUU fishing will have full access to EU consumers.
‘Double-edged sword’
The regulation is a “double-edged sword”, especially for major fish exporting regions such as Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP), which export 60 per cent of their fish products to the EU, says Professor Tsamenyi.
“Research to-date has shown that these countries are the most vulnerable to global impacts of IUU fishing,” he says. “Some ACP states lose millions of dollars to IUU fishing, not to mention the long-term implications for their food security.
“At the same time, however, for many ACP states fisheries exports to the EU market are very significant components of foreign exchange earnings and national budgets.”
In their study, ‘Fairer Fishing?’, Professor Tsamenyi and his co-authors show that the adjustment process for exporting countries is likely to be “very challenging” without the additional technical support.
In need of technical support
Many countries could be excluded entirely from the European market, with long-term implications on trade relations and status, according to the publication.
“Non-compliant countries will lose their market share of fisheries products into the EU. A number of countries are already capitalising on the opportunities created by the regulation and are preparing to fill the shortfall in supply created by non-compliant nations.”
Over 150 pages, the study offers an overview of the globalisation of fisheries and recent economic trends, and explains the consequences of the regulation for trade officials and the implications of non-compliance. It also offers guidance in negotiations with the EU on acquiring financial and technical support for implementation.
‘Thinking practically’
The authors explain that while measures to combat IUU fishing are welcome, developing countries should not be disproportionately burdened with the task of combating it.
Veniana Qalo, Economic Adviser at the Commonwealth Secretariat, says the book should help countries “think practically” to ensure that their fishing industries are not damaged once the regulation comes into force.
“Any unilateral regulation which is not necessarily negotiated globally usually has the commercial interest of the country [or regional organisation] that drafts it in mind – i.e. the EU,” she said.
“We wanted to stimulate discussion on the issues that ACP fisheries exporters face - how the regulation will affect them and whether it might restrict market access..
