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Illegal and unregulated fishing has come under the spotlight this week, as the international community was urged to take action against the problem by joining the High Seas Task Force. The UK-hosted event, at the Review of the UN Fish Stocks Agreement in New York, gave first-hand evidence on the various problems caused by illegal fishing – from unsustainability to harming local communities and the industry at large. The illegal fishing trade is worth around $9bn a year, with fisheries some of the poorest African nations facing huge losses as a result. Additionally, illegal fishing also involves widespread unsustainable capture of species such as cod and shark, undermining officially regulated quotas and harming stocks.
The High Seas Task Force, formed in 2003, works internationally against illegal and unregulated fishing activities through governmental and NGO co-operation.
"The international community needs to take urgent action to tackle this global plundering of the seas,” commented Ben Bradshaw, UK Fisheries Minister and Chair of the High Seas Task Force.
"Environmentally, illegal fishing and the use of illegal fishing methods destroys important marine habitats around the world. Economically it robs some of the poorest countries of their livelihoods. The High Seas Task Force initiatives will help create sophisticated systems around the world to expose, identify and penalise anyone engaged in this illegal activity. I would encourage others to join us in taking action to combat illegal fishing," added Mr. Bradshaw. Source:
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