Training Inspectors in Fiji under a SPC/FFA/DevFish II Programme

Longliners in Suva harbour

EU Market Access Requirements are not new concepts as such, however, experience with their implementation and sustainability has been highly mixed, especially in Pacific Islands. While the idea of accessing many wealthy customers is very tempting, the decision to export to the EU is to be based on a cost benefit analysis. Exporting to the EU is not an obligation, and it requires an equal amount of effort by the government authorities and the private sector.

Presently the EU requires official guarantees in the form of certification in two different areas, Seafood Safety and from non-Illegal, Unreported or Unregulated (IUU) fisheries. 

SPC’s Fisheries Development & Training Section has recognised that there will continue to be a constant demand for CA Regulatory verification for both established and expanding EU approved CA’s (PNG, Solomon Islands and Fiji) and for developing CA’s (currently Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands and Kiribati). It is therefore critical that a the  SPC/FFA/DevFish II regional standard training program first developed in 2012 is to be delivered again in 2014, to the same level as to guarantee continuity and harmonisation in between countries .

For the next 3 weeks i would be in Fiji running a hands on training for 20 officers from around the Pacific on EU market Access issues.

Is specially comforting that two of my co trainers (and more importantly, friends!) are Pacific Islanders who at some stage in the long gone past I trained as well, and today we train as a team... not many better feelings than that one!

FFA Operation Tui Moana 2014 continues vigilance over Fishing in Pacific

Another comprehensive maritime surveillance operation wound up its annual phase for 2014 on the weekend, with Operation Tui Moana ending a ten-day operation on Friday evening.

Samoa Air aircraft about to depart Faleolo to conduct a maritime patrol of Samoa’s EEZ.

TUI MOANA 2014 (OPTM14) stretched from 14-23 May across the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and high seas of Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Niue, Tokelau and Tuvalu. Opportunities also arose throughout the operation to extend coverage into the EEZs of Kiribati (Phoenix), Australian, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna and French Polynesia with their cooperation. 

Coordination and planning of Tui Moana involved patrol boats, aerial and national HQ surveillance of more than 2m square kilometres of ocean, and months of networking led by the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre (RFSC) staff. 

Several cases remain open for investigation, and there was one apprehension from the 200+ remotely sensed/sighted vessels and the 30 vessels boarded during Operation Tui Moana.  FFA Director General James Movick says regional cooperation on maritime surveillance continues the enduring message of vigilance against illegal, unreported and unlicensed fishing.

“The statistics for fishing vessels encountered in this Operation were lower than ever before, and this matches the current economic conditions in the long line fishery, the predominant fishery in Tui Moana ocean area.”

“With catch rates and product prices relatively low, we have seen numerous fleets tie up lately.  Now more than ever, it is important that surveillance efforts maintain a high standard of vigilance.  It is an unfortunate fact that when times are tough, the incentives for illegal fishing are greater so it is important to reinforce the message that Pacific nations and our surveillance partners are monitoring and aware of what’s happening in our fishing waters,” he says.

Tui Moana operations have been undertaken annually in Polynesia for the last 13 years. In 2014, surveillance tracking by the seven aircraft, four member country patrol boats, and three naval ships revealed EEZs provided the largest capability ever.  

Patrol boats from Samoa, Tuvalu and two from Tonga took part in this multi-lateral Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Operation, supported from the air with 210 flying hours by military surveillance aircraft. These came from the Quadrilateral Defence partners of Australia and New Zealand, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and two aircraft each from French Polynesia and New Caledonia.  The flights cost the Quadrilateral partners a total of over USD$4 million.  The French Armed-forces New Caledonia also provided a frigate (FNS VENDEMIAIRE) and a patrol Boat (LA GLORIEUSE) whilst the USCG also supplied USCGC WALNUT to patrol the region. USCGC WASHINGTON, though outside of the region, also reported fishing vessel contacts and conducted boardings in the Palau EEZ.

Inspector Tepaki Baxter from the Cook Islands, Police Officer Simaile Tautaititi from Samoa and Sub-Lieutenant Azania Fusimalohi from Tonga supported the operation by watch keeping at the FFA RSFC’s Joint Coordination Centre in Honiara and similar regional crossover happened at sea. Australia’s Fisheries Management Authority provided two senior fisheries officers to sea-ride VENDEMIAIRE. Samoa and Cook Islands Fisheries/Police officers were deployed on WALNUT and Cook Islands Fisheries and Police Officers joined the Samoa’s Patrol Boat NAFANUA.   

FFA's Director General Movick noted Tui Moana as the final operation for Commander Mike Pounder of the Royal Australian Navy, who plans and coordinates these multilateral operations in the role of Surveillance Operations Officer in FFA’s Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre (RFSC), as he ends his three-year term with the FFA RSFC and returns to Canberra later this year.

“We have seen the FFA RSFC grow in strength and effectiveness since Mike has joined the team and extend our appreciation for the   diligence and capacity- building he has brought to national Maritime HQ’s in the region, “ says Movick.

“Through his efforts we have seen ongoing improvements in communications, data and information sharing between all the diverse partners in Pacific maritime surveillance over our regional fisheries.” 

He also thanked the Government of Australia for its strong support and partnership with FFA in conducting these regional operations “in guarding against illegal fishing activity in Pacific waters. The cost and resources involved with funding for patrol boat fuel and supplies, travel and accommodation for the watch-keepers in Honiara and for the FFAs Regional Fisheries Surveillance Centre during all operations are substantial, and I know our members join me in acknowledging this assistance from Australia as a key development partner to the agency,” he says. Movick also thanked the defence and naval ‘quad’ partners of Australia, France, New Zealand and the United States for the excellent support they offer to FFA’s annual maritime surveillance operations.

Original FFA press statement here

Done with the Tuna Conference

Finished my presentation and on my way back to NZ. Hopefully the message in my last slide got trough.

In any case this was a talk party... everyone from the EU to Asia, uses the magic word of "sustainability" and they are all committed to it... but then; fishing effort, number of vessels and non technical barriers to trade that affect the smallest countries, continue to pile up... 

Is frustrating, but if we loose hope on change... then change will surely never happen.

Solid message from the head of the Pacific Islands main fisheries organisation

The message of the presentation by Dr. Glenn Hurry, Executive Director of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), could not have been more direct.

The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture - 2014

Every two years my former employer FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the Unites Nations) publishes its report over the status of fisheries and aquaculture worldwide. Is the best source of information available on the topic, here are some of it key findings.

According to the latest edition of FAO’s The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture, global fisheries and aquaculture production totalled 158 million tonnes in 2012 - around 10 million tonnes more than 2010.

The rapid expansion of aquaculture, including the activities of small-scale farmers, is driving this growth in production.

At the same time per capita fish consumption has soared from 10 kg in the 1960s to more than 19 kg in 2012.

The new report also says fish now accounts for almost 17 percent of the global population’s intake of protein -- in some coastal and island countries it can top 70 percent.

FAO estimates that fisheries and aquaculture support the livelihoods of 10–12 percent of the world’s population.

Since 1990 employment in the sector has grown at a faster rate than the world’s population and in 2012 provided jobs for some 60 million people engaged in capture fisheries and aquaculture. Of these, 84 percent were employed in Asia, followed by Africa with about 10 percent.

Fish remains among the most traded food commodities worldwide, worth almost $130 billion in 2012 – a figure which likely will continue to increase.

An important trend sees developing countries boosting their share in the fishery trade – 54 percent of total fishery exports by value in 2012 and more than 60 percent by quantity (live weight).

This means fisheries and fish farming are playing an increasingly critical role for many local economies. Some 90 percent of fishers are small scale and it is estimated that, overall, 15 percent are women.  In secondary activities such as processing, this figure can be as high as 90 percent.

Global marine capture fishery production was stable at about 80 million tonnes in 2012, the new report indicates.

Currently, under 30 percent of the wild fish stocks regularly monitored by FAO are overfished – a reversal in trend observed during the past few years, a positive sign in the right direction. 

Just over 70 percent are being fished within biologically sustainable levels. Of these, fully fished stocks – meaning those at or very close to their maximum sustainable production – account for over 60 percent and underfished stocks about 10 percent.

Global aquaculture production marked a record high of more than 90 million tonnes in 2012, including almost 24 million tonnes of aquatic plants. China accounted for over 60 percent of the total share. 

Aquaculture’s expansion helps improve the diets of many people, especially in poor rural areas where the presence of essential nutrients in food is often scarce. 

However, the report warns that to continue to grow sustainably, aquaculture needs to become less dependent on wild fish for feeds and introduce greater diversity in farmed culture species and practices.

The report also notes that illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing remains a major threat to marine ecosystems and also impacts negatively on livelihoods, local economies and food supplies.

Food chain traceability is increasingly a requirement in major fish markets, especially in the wake of recent scandals involving the mislabelling of food products. FAO provides technical guidelines on certification and ecolabelling which can help producers demonstrate that fish has been caught legally from a sustainably managed fishery or produced in properly run aquaculture facility.

Highlights of the report here.       Full Report here

The world tuna conference in Bangkok this week

The biggest gathering of major tuna industry players, tuna governing bodies, NGOs, service providers and government officials from 21-23 May

On my way to Bangkok, I been invited by INFOFISH to be a speaker at their annual Tuna conference,  the biggest event in the Tuna world... and I'm trilled to be asked.

My talk elaborates on a subject that I'm quite keen and have been championing for a while: the need to capture data as well as fish at industry level.

My presentation will challenge the perception that we need to collect data for certifications only (Catch Certs for market access, ecolabelling, etc)... it proposes that data capture by industry is fundamental for todays fisheries at management, bio-economic, trade and MCS levels. And that certifications are a useful by product, but they should not be the driver... this latest attitude (unfortunately the most prevalent) is like putting the cart in front of the horse.

Finally I like to challenge the main industry players if they would accept from their logistics and banking providers, the same amount of transparency they offer to their regulators and customers?

So lets look for our solutions on those two sectors, instead on the loading the Regional Fisheries Management Organisations with that load or  trusting that transparency to commercial brands such as the ecolabels.

Otherwise we always are going to be on the back foot, like now...

The programme of the conference is here

Unusual places for a fisheries consultant

Muscar in Herzegovina

The hills of Sarajevo

The deaths of Sarajevo...

Over the last week I have been working in Serbia and Bosnia - Herzegovina. Places I never expected to work, been a fisheries consultant.

However, as they go trough the ascension process to the EU (after the incredible fratricidal dismembering of the former Yugoslavia) I been asked to go trough a series of seminars (Belgrade, Sarajevo and Bagna Luka) to facilitate the understanding of the EU requirements and the role of Ecolabels and other commercial certifications in the aquaculture and fisheries sector, under a programme from the Swiss government.

Life can take you to quite unexpected places, if you don't have many preconceptions on how it should be!

So much for comercial fisherman been always the bad guys!

from the Waiheke Island Gulf News!

Happy they got caught!

Happy World Tuna Day!

In 2011, the 8 PNA countries , that comprise much of the world’s tuna fishing waters declared May 2 to be World Tuna Day. Today marks the very first—a time for global celebration of these amazing fish and a reminder of the need to conserve them. 
From the gigantic, warm-blooded, 680-kilogram Atlantic bluefin to the smallest skipjack, the label “tuna” actually includes more than 20 species that range from the tropics to the frigid waters of the Arctic and the Southern Ocean. 
World Tuna Day recognizes the critical role these fish play in marine ecosystems. They support some of the world’s largest and most valuable fisheries, as well as many people who rely on them for their livelihoods.  

And at a personal level, I owe the last 20 years of my life to that fish. Thanks and respect!

The World's Largest Seafood Trade Event in Brussels (4-8 May 2014)

As you may imagine trade events are not my cup of tea...

The Brussels seafood show is the biggest conglomeration of seafood buyers and sellers in the world.  And while this particular type of people ain't my favourites... they are part of the deal. I only wish they knew more about the people down the line, the fishers and the workers their decisions affect. 

Part of my work portfolio is with a Swiss Government organisation (SIPPO) whose innovative approach to assistance, is to by pass governments and offer assistance directly to small and medium size producers in some development and transitional countries that pass some stringent criteria in regards sustainability, compliance and social responsibility. My work is to advice the organisation during the selection process and during the trade show offer them technical support around market access issues, eco-labelling and private certifications.

The package that SIPPO offers this companies includes a stand at fair, extensive matchmaking services, a communication package, support during the preparation and follow-up phase, a preparation workshop in Brussels and hotel accommodation during the trade fair.

There some key reasons i do this job (even if i don't like going to Brussels);

1. The effect is immediate, with one company (2 peruvian brothers) they started with 8 employes, 3 years later they have 70, no other project I ever work hast that direct impact.
2. I get he opportunity to interact with many of the regulatory decision makers from the EU that assist to the show (assist countries to implement their requirements is a key part of my work),
3. I really like the people I work with. 

Furthermore they seem to like me, because the keep contracting me to do the technical side as well as to do all the publications involved , which I do with my friend Raul under - Freshfish - (Branding -Strategy - Design)

If you happen to be in Brussels come and say hello: SIPPO Pavilion - hall 7 | stand 7-1953, as you imagine being from Switzerland they are very organised and the free chocolates are excellent :-) 

Lack of access to data frustrates scientists in the Pacific

A meeting of over 20 stock assessment scientists from the Asia–Pacific region last week heard that the scientific assessment of tunas in the western and central Pacific Ocean (WCPO) continues to be hampered by some fishing states not making data available to scientists. Dr Shelton Harley, head of the Stock Assessment and Modelling team within the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) Oceanic Fisheries Programme noted that ‘the most frustrating aspect is that the data have been collected and are just sitting on computers in countries and not contributing to the efforts to determine the health and safe harvest levels for the largest tuna resource in the world.’
 
The purpose of the annual meeting, hosted by SPC, is to review progress in assessing the status of bigeye, skipjack, and yellowfin tunas in the WCPO. This year is critical as it will be the first time in three years that these tunas are being assessed and also the first assessment for bigeye tuna since the independent review of the previous assessment conducted in 2012. Bigeye tuna is the species whose health has been of most concern in recent years, with rising catches associated with purse-seine fishing around fish aggregating devices.
 
The independent review – funded by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) – stressed the importance of scientists having access to detailed operational-level data from the fisheries, but despite this, there has been very little movement from those fishing states that hold the data. In early 2014 three scientists from Taiwan came to SPC headquarters in New Caledonia and brought these important data on Taiwanese fishing with them. Some very useful analyses were conducted, but after two weeks the scientists went home and took the data with them. While this was a useful first step, it means that follow-up analyses that might be required as the assessments develop and as other data are received cannot be undertaken. Nevertheless, Dr Harley expressed appreciation to the Taiwan fisheries administration for this useful first step, and encouraged other major fishing countries to support the stock assessments by allowing scientists access to these data.
 
On a more positive note, Dr Harley noted that the upcoming assessments would be drawing heavily on the results from the Pacific Tuna Tagging Programme (www.spc.int/tagging). Almost 400,000 tunas have been tagged since 2006, with over 70,000 fish recaptured. This programme will be important in better understanding the rate of fishing and the connectivity of tuna across the WCPO.
 
The completed stock assessments will be presented to the 10th Regular Session of the WCPFC Scientific Committee when it meets in Majuro, Marshall Island in August 2014.

Original article here

Why are we putting so much efforts in managing and supporting tuna developments in the Pacific?

Tuna processing is the biggest employment provider for woman in the Pacific (i.e. 70% of Soltuna's workforce)

Small and remote island nations in the Pacific are custodians of the last great ocean fishery, but face huge challenges in economic development and managing the impact of climate change.

The Pacific fisheries have been feeding the world’s tuna appetite for many decades and have now reached their maximum yield potential. While some tuna species are in decline, we are focussing management and control efforts on achieving a safe long-term catch limit that will ensure sustainability of the fisheries in the Western and Central Pacific.

Although access fees to DWFN (Distant Water Fishing Nations - i.e. Taiwan, China, Korea, EU, Japan, etc) equate to only a fraction of the catch value, such revenues are of critical economic importance for many Pacific island economies where the scale of marine resources typically outweighs other natural-resource wealth.

This is particularly true for the smaller island and atoll states, most of which have few other opportunities for sustainable economic development. 

Hence is a complicated equation where the needs and realities of each country will deliver a different outcome as there is no "one size fits all" solution. 

Organisations like SPC, FFA, NZAid, AUSAid, the EU via programmes like DEVFish II, PHAMA and others are supporting this work in the region, and in many cases thanks to your taxes.

Training on non IUU Catch Certification in Noro, Solomon Islands

Back on my favourite working place in the Pacific, Noro in the western province of the Solomons.

Solomon Islands tuna accounts for around 7 percent of the total Western and Central Pacific Ocean catch – more than 150,000 tonnes – with an estimated value of US$180 million. However, the bulk of the catch is taken by foreign fishing vessels under licensing agreements and processed elsewhere. Access fees paid to Solomon Islands represent only around 5 % of the landed (not retail) value of the catch.

I always believed that the set up here in Noro represents what fishing industry should be in the Pacific. Two operations, NFD (fishing pole&line - small purse seine fleet) and SolTuna loining - canning employing over 1600 people (99% locals), majority owned by the Solomon Islands Retirement Fund, management is positive and really into it people.

Working here under a AusAID-funded initiative training fisheries officers, skippers and processors on the inner workings of Catch Certification Schemes. 

Estimates of illegal and unreported fish in seafood imports to the USA

A new paper in the latest Marine Policy journal by  Pramod Ganapathiraju et all, tackles this ambitious task with an interesting methodology.

The paper concludes with some assertions I completely agree: 

First, illegal fishing activities remain a major problem for the seafood industry and seafood consumers. Second, the lack of transparency in highly complex and diffuse wild seafood supply chains allows illegal and unreported catches to be easily laundered and mixed into legitimate supplies entering international trade. Third, very few tools currently exist to monitor and interdict illegal catches entering the United States through seafood imports. 

Full paper here

The US (finally!) ratifies the FAO Port State Measures Agreement

The treaty, which the United Nations adopted in 2009, applies to foreign-flagged vessels calling on ports in any country that is a party to the agreement. Under its provisions, port officials who conclude that a vessel has a known or suspected record of illegal fishing would turn away the vessel or subject it to immediate inspection. If there is evidence of illegal catch, port officials would prohibit the landing of the catch. They also would alert other ports to the situation and could deny the vessel permission to refuel or receive repairs.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and especially Chairman Robert Menendez (D-NJ), ranking member Bob Corker (R-TN), Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), and Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), for moving the PSMA through the Senate.

Next step is to pass the Pirate Fishing Elimination Act—the implementing language for the PSMA—to ensure that the agreement enters into force in a timely manner.

The PSMA will take effect once 25 parties ratify it; the United States is the 11th party to do so, joining nine other countries and the European Union. 

E-monitoring trial of tuna longliners in the Solomons

 The Yi Man #3 pulling into Port in Noro

Two CT4-class tuna longliners left the port of Noro in the Western Province of Solomon Islands earlier this month with the latest video technology on board to improve data collection of their catch – albacore, yellowfin and bigeye – in the Western and Central Pacific.

The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), for which Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) provides secretariat services,  calls for 5% observer coverage on board longliners operating in the region. However, lack of space on board smaller vessels, logistics and costs have limited human observer coverage to around 2%. Third party data are, therefore, lacking on longline target catch, non-target catch and overall operations.  These data are necessary to improve our scientific understanding of these fisheries, strengthen management tools, and promote better enforcement of existing national and regional conservation measures. The use of modern technology to supplement the role of human observers offers real opportunities to overcome these challenges in tuna longline fisheries, making this an important and pioneering effort.

This highly collaborative project was developed and launched by Tri Marine, National Fisheries Developments (NFD), Yi Man Fishery Company, Satlink, the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA), SPC, and Solomon Islands Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR).  Tri Marine and NFD are contributing to project management, and installation, maintenance and cost of the electronics.  FFA, via the EU-funded DevFish 2 project, shares the equipment costs and plays a major role in overall coordination.  Satlink provides and partially covers the cost of the electronics, while also designating staff to installation, data monitoring and review.  The Yi Man Fishery Company volunteered two vessels, allocating valuable time to facilitate installation, and providing vessel space and resources to accommodate the equipment and human observers. MFMR has provided human observers to overlap with the electronics, while SPC assigned a field coordinator to assist with observer placement, data review, and project evaluation and reporting.

This multi-stakeholder effort will assess whether or not video cameras, electronic storage, and vessel monitoring systems (VMS), combined with at-port inspections, can generate information sufficient to fulfill the requirements of the WCPFC Regional Observer Programme minimum data fields.  Imagery collected will be reviewed after each vessel trip by MFMR, with FFA and Satlink involvement, using customised reviewer software.  Human observers will also be on board, conducting regular observer duties, with results to be compared against those collected electronically.  The project is being done with two vessels for two fishing trips, which may last anywhere from six to ten weeks each, for a total of four trips.  Early results will be presented at the WCPFC Scientific Committee meeting in August, 2014, followed by a full report summarising the findings, including cost-benefit analysis and recommendations for further development and implementation.

Although the project is unique and innovative in its application to distant water tuna longliners in this part of the Pacific, it does fall within the broader framework of WCPFC electronic technologies development.  E-reporting to digitise and streamline data recording by vessel and fisheries department staff has been tested with NFD purse-seiners and is being expanded to other fleets.  E-monitoring, or EM, is already applied under VMS requirements, and is now being broadened to incorporate video systems like the one being tested with this project.  This week, WCPFC is advancing these complementary efforts by hosting an E-Monitoring and E-Reporting Workshop at FFA headquarters in Honiara from 31 March  to 1 April 2014.  The objective is to gain member input into promoting E-technology and developing a related proposal for the next Technical Compliance Committee Meeting.  An overview of the design and launch of this project will be presented at the workshop and, it is hoped, result in feedback to be applied to the upcoming second trips of the vessels.

Although tuna resources face growing pressure, collaborative efforts like this one between industry and fisheries managers provide tangible results that can guide improvements.  Modern fishing technology is often blamed for negative impacts on the marine environment, but strategic application of new innovations can also contribute to improved science, and the monitoring, control and surveillance needed for a more sustainable future.

Original article here

What do you know about tuna tagging? Not much? Come on board!

This is a short video by SPC (filmed in October 2011) about a tagging campaign in the area between Tonga and Wallis and Futuna.

Tuna tagging involves the capture, tag and release of large numbers of tuna with numbered plastic dart tags, and the documentation (time, location, fishing method, fish size) of subsequent recaptures of these fish by the various types of fisheries across the region.  Tagging is carried out mainly using the pole-and-line fishing method, in which fish are caught, tagged and released in a matter of seconds. Information is recorded on the fish’s species and size, along with the date and location of the tagging.

More on SPC Tunna tagging programme here

Bad report from the EU's Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) on Spain

When the FVO visits a country to evaluate how its Competent Authority controls the EU Market Access Requirements, everyone shakes... A bad report implies that that country could loose its access to the EU market (the biggest buyers of fish in the world), this normally bring the ruin to a big sector of the industry with lots of job losses, etc...

Interestingly the FVO also evaluates the EU member countries, however if they don't perform  and get a bad report... not much happens as they are part of the EU and there is no "borders" inside it to detain the products.

It took 3 years of solid efforts to get Fiji back in a few years ago, the budget for EU markets access exceeds many health initiatives their people needs. Ecuador almost lost access and had to work really hard at massive cost for a relatively poor country.

So.. when we read the reports (to their credit are public) to member states, like this one below to Spain' we find it almost too cynic...  any non EU country would loose market access, while they, they just keep on. 

Not fair... even if I have really lovely and dedicated friends working there... Judge for your self:

The Food and Veterinary Office of DG SANCO of the European Commission reported on a mission to Spain conducted in May 2013, to evaluate the national food safety controls on fishery products, and to follow up on a previous mission in 2008. The mission found that the organisation of the competent authorities visited, the standards set and their operational procedures, could in principle provide an acceptable system of official controls of fishery products. However, the mission found that there were deficiencies in relation to the supervision and audit of official controls by regional authorities, shortcomings in the implementation of approvals of establishments and freezer vessels (7 vessels were found to be operating without approval for at least two years). In addition sanitary controls on fishing vessels and landings were not always effective, there were deficiencies in the evaluation of HACCP plans (which in some establishments were non-existent). Fish was imported via a third country without a health certificate. Monitoring arrangements for dioxins, PCBs and PAH were not implemented in all regions. The two Ministries who share Competent Authority functions (the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment and the Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality) were required to submit a plan of corrective actions subsequently accepted by the Commission.

Is there a lesson for fisheries in regards the ICJ ruling on whaling by japan in the southern oceans?

I think so; vigilantes ram boats, antagonise people and at the end achieve little, but the sometimes imperfect, always boring and slow due course of justice do reach results when provided with knowledge and evidence. There is were we should keep focussing our efforts.

South Korea to (finally!!) begin real-time vessel tracking

Funny for a such a "techie"  nation not to have VMS and such crappy vessels

South Korea is set to begin monitoring all its fishing boats operating in international or foreign waters to prevent illegal fishing or any other unwarranted activities, the government said Thursday.

The country's first-ever Fisheries Monitoring Center will open in the southern port city of Busan on Friday, enabling real-time monitoring of all South Korean vessels engaged in deep-sea fishing for the first time in the country's history, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.

Information on the real-time location of a vessel may allow the government to issue a warning when the vessel appears to be engaged in illegal, unreported or unregulated (IUU) fishing in foreign waters.

"The opening of the Fisheries Monitoring Center, along with the requirement for all deep-sea fishing vessels to be equipped with a vessel monitoring system, is at the heart of the government's efforts to curb IUU fishing," the ministry said in a press release.

The monitoring center was earlier scheduled to open in July under a revised law on deep-sea fishing that also raised the limit for maximum fines to 200 million won (US$185,000) from 30 million won for illegal fishing.