It’s been six months since European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Maria Damanaki issued a letter to eight countries she felt were not doing enough to stop illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and now she is considering taking further action against countries that have done nothing in response.
“Their current attitude leaves me no choice but to start preparations for the next steps, which could entail trade measures to be adopted by the (European) Council on proposal of the commission," Damanaki said in a speech at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium.
Damanaki sent a “yellow card” letter to the countries — Belize, Cambodia, Fiji, Guinea, Panama, Sri Lanka, Togo and Vanuatu — In November 2012, warning them that the EU would not tolerate IUU fishing, and that those countries could face EU bans on their seafood if more is not done to stop the problem.
Damanaki noted that Fiji, Togo, Sri Lanka and Panama “have made credible progress,” and “a mission is ongoing” in Vanuatu, but there has been little to no response from the other countries, and, she said, their time is up.
Details on when or if further action would be taken were not available.