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On Thursday (January 5), the European Commission banned the import of seafood caught in Cameroon’s waters or by vessels flagging there, banning the Central African country from illegal , labeled it “uncooperative” in its fight against unreported and unregulated fishing.
The commission has given Cameroon a so-called “red card”, saying EU member states will refuse shipments of seafood from Cameroon even if Cameroon has catch certificates verified by national authorities.
Cameroon is one of four non-EU countries currently on the Commission’s ‘red card’ list, along with Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Comoros and Cambodia. The country has emerged in recent years as one of several nations offering a “flag of convenience” that allows companies to register vessels in countries unrelated to them.
The Associated Press last year investigated 14 Cameroon-registered vessels accused of illegal and unregulated fishing and found they were owned or controlled by companies based in EU member states. bottom.
The European Commission said illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing is “one of the most serious threats to the sustainable development of living water resources”.
“The Commission took strong action today by giving Cameroon a red card because we have zero tolerance for IUU fishing,” said Virginijus Sinkevičius, European Commissioner for Environment, Marine and Fisheries. said Mr.
A spokesman for Cameroon’s Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industry was not reached for comment on Thursday.
Thursday’s ban by the commission came nearly two years after urging Cameroonian authorities to step up action against illegal fishing.
The commission estimates that as many as 26 tonnes of fish are caught illegally each year, accounting for about 15% of the world’s total fish catch. Illegal, unreported or unregulated fishing is worth €10-20 billion each year.
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