NOAA Fisheries recently announced proposed new action to further the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
The changes address the U.S. Moratorium Protection Act and the International Port States Measures Agreement, according to a June 27 NOAA news release.
“The Moratorium Protection Act is one of the United States’ most effective and impactful tools to combat IUU fishing activities," Alexa Cole, director of NOAA Fisheries Office of International Affairs, Trade and Commerce, said in the release. “It has resulted in many successes with identified nations strengthening their national fisheries laws, taking flag state action against their vessels, improving their engagement in regional fisheries management organizations’ compliance processes and improving their monitoring, control and surveillance efforts on a global scale.”
She said changing the definition of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing would widen the scope of activities NOAA Fisheries could consider, and would give the agency the authority to address more issues, the release reported.
The Port State Measures Agreement enables nations to assess the risk that a vessel coming to a port may be engaged in illegal fishing activities. Authorities can decide to let the vessel unload its catch or receive port services, James London, director of NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement, said, according to the release.
An expansion of what information foreign fishing vessels must submit when requesting entry into U.S. ports would strengthen port controls for foreign-flagged vessels, Landon said, the release reported. This would help keep illegal, unreported and unregulated fish and fish products out of world markets.
