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Brussels: New fisheries control regime enters into force on 1 January |
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Wednesday, 10 February 2010 08:17 |
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A new framework for fisheries control that aims to put a stop to products from illicit fishing activities from entering the EU and will feature stronger and more efficient fisheries controls, entered into force on 1 January 2010. The new controls also foresee a system of penalties that will be uniformly enforced across the EU irrespective of the fisherman's nationality or flag. Illegal operators will now no longer be able to take advantage of differences in penalties within the different EU countries. The new control regime is based on three separate, but linked regulations: one to combat IUU (illegal, unreported and unregulated ) fishing; one for fishing authorisations for the fleet operating outside EU waters; and one establishing a control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy. Illegal fishing is estimated at EUR10bn globally and the EU as the largest market for fish and seafood in the world has been considered an attractive market for illegal products. The new IUU regulations aim to change this by introducing a catch certification scheme that will make sure that the fish caught, landed, brought to market and sold can be tracked at any stage of the process - from net to plate.
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