Closing Mediterranean Ports to the Pirates

The majority of swordfish caught in the Mediterranean are smaller than the legal length and have not reached sexual maturity. Illegal fish are unloaded with little oversight, demonstrating the crucial need for strong Port State controls (c)Greenpeace
The majority of swordfish caught in the Mediterranean are smaller than the legal length and have not reached sexual maturity. Illegal fish are unloaded with little oversight, demonstrating the crucial need for strong Port State controls (c)Greenpeace
London, March 10th 2008

EJF strongly commends approval of a new region-wide scheme for stronger Port State controls targeting illegal, unreported and underreported (IUU) fishing by the FAO-established General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM).

EJF investigations have shown that poor port controls are one of the key loopholes exploited by pirate fishermen to access the marketplace with illicit catches – and recent EJF reports have recommended the closure of ports to vessels that engage in IUU fishing.

Under the scheme, GFCM countries will designate ports where foreign fishing boats wishing to offload, transship or process fish, or take on fuel and supplies, must land. Any ship not from the involved port State will be required to request access ahead of time, providing extensive information on their activities and cargo. Ships sighted as being involved IUU activities will be turned away, as will vessels blacklisted for IUU by other regional fisheries management organizations.

Additionally, the GFCM endorsed a recommendation recently adopted by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) regarding Mediterranean swordfish, which calls for a complete ban on fishing for this species from October 15 to November 15, 2008. According to FAO stock assessments, the status of swordfish in the Mediterranean ranges from fully-exploited to overexploited, meaning the stock is being harvested beyond sustainable levels.

Despite a ban on the use of driftnets in the Mediterranean, these ‘walls of death’ are still being used to target this vulnerable species. EJF’s report ‘Illegal Driftnetting in the Mediterranean’ examines the devastating impact of driftnets not only on swordfish, but also enormous numbers of whales, dolphins, turtles and fish species that are unlucky enough to get caught up in these nets - only to be disposed of as ‘valueless’ bycatch.

EJF strongly urges the GFCM nations to adopt, implement and enforce measures designed to protect both commercial and non-commercial species in the Mediterranean, including an annual moratorium on fishing for swordfish, and the complete eradication of driftnets.

GFCM members are: Albania, Algeria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, the European Community, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey.