Europe lifts Guinea's red card after fighting illegal fishing
Staff Writer |
Guinea has made significant improvements to its national fisheries governance to fight illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, resulting in the European Commission lifting the country's red card and associated trade measures.
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The Commission gave the Republic of Guinea a yellow card in November 2012, warning it of the risk of being considered a non-cooperating country. After inadequate action was taken, Guinea was given a red card in November 2013.
The lifting of the red card this week follows several years of dialogue with Guinea, which has now successfully addressed the shortcomings in its fisheries governance.
In particular, Guinea has revised its legal framework to combat IUU fishing, strengthened its sanctioning system, improved monitoring and control of its fleet and waters, and is now complying with international law.
“This is an important decision for the Commission and for the Republic of Guinea, and good news for sustainable fisheries around the globe," said European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Karmenu Vella.
"After a long dialogue process Guinea has shown real commitment to fighting illegal fishing. We encourage them to join us in our ongoing work to promote improved ocean governance, including legal and sustainable fisheries worldwide.”
Guinea has also ratified the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA), an important tool under the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) that prevents illegal fish from being landed in the country's ports.
As a result of these changes the Commission has proposed to end formal discussions with Guinea and remove it from the list of non-cooperating countries. The Commission looks forward to continued cooperation with this partner in the fight against IUU fishing. ■
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