A tuna longlining fishing boat. (Photo: ICCAT)

Fishing boats to conduct mutual on-board inspections

TAIWAN
Tuesday, December 01, 2009, 01:40 (GMT + 9)

Taiwan and Japan will soon start allowing on-board inspections of each other's fishing vessels in international waters, according to the Fisheries Administration under the Cabinet-level Council of Agriculture (COA).

Japan has notified the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention (WCPFC) of the agreement, which will go into effect starting on 25 December, COA said in a press release on Friday. New Zealand, the Cook Islands and the US are getting ready to make similar agreements with Taiwan, according to COA.

Taiwanese tuna longlining fishing boats operating in the Western or Central Pacific must adhere to the practice when required by qualified personnel from any of these convention countries or territories, COA said while citing WCPFC resolution 06-08, China Post reports.

Taiwanese fishing vessels must also have their operating licenses and fish catch reports handy and promptly report the inspections to Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration and fisheries radio stations, which will in turn be responsible for reporting the inspections to COA. These measures are meant to provide better protection to endangered tuna stocks, according to the statement.

To record their operations thoroughly, fishing boats must carry a vessel monitoring system (VMS) to constantly gauge their location in commercial fishing areas and regularly send this data to a monitoring station, usually via satellite.

The measure also implies that fishing ships will be banned from capturing sharks. Additionally, specific devices must be installed to prevent the bycatch of sea birds and sea turtles.

COA highlighted that if a fishing boat is found to violate the convention's regulations or refuses to cooperate in inspections with on-board regulatory personnel, it will be listed as “illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU)” and be liable to punishments such as a revocation of its license.

The annual fish catch in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean is of 2.5 million tonnes and the yield from illegal fishing is thought to be an annual 850,000 tonnes. Greenpeace figures show that fishery production in this region generates a yearly USD 2 billion -- however, the island countries issuing these fishing licenses receive only up to 6 per cent of the profits.

The Western and Central Pacific Ocean has become the source of more than half of the world's tuna catch due to stock depletions in other oceans.

By Natalia Real
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com