Improving International Fisheries Management 2021 Report to Congress
Date of Publication
2021 12:00 AM
Security Theme
IUU Fishing
Keywords
IUU Fishing, IUU fishing, IUU fishing certifications, China, Costa Rica, Guyana, Mexico, Russian Federation, Senegal, Taiwan, transshipment, global organizations, regional organizations, import monitoring
Description
Under the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act (Moratorium Protection Act) (16 U.S.C. §§ 1826h-1826k), Congress requires the Secretary of Commerce to submit a biennial report identifying nations or entities whose vessels have been engaged in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, bycatch of protected species, unsustainable fishing for sharks on the high seas, or whose own actions or failures undermine conservation measures of a regional fishery management organization (RFMO). After consulting with identified nations and entities on improving their relevant fisheries management and enforcement practices, the Secretary must certify in the next biennial report whether actions by the identified nations and entities have adequately addressed the activities of concern. In its 2019 Biennial Report to Congress, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) identified Ecuador for failing to comply with enforcement requirements of an RFMO, Mexico for having vessels fishing illegally in U.S. waters, and the Republic of Korea for failing to apply sufficient sanctions to deter its vessels from violating measures adopted by an RFMO. As required by the Moratorium Protection Act, Chapter IV of this report contains NMFS’ certification determinations for those nations. Ecuador and the Republic of Korea receive positive certifications on the basis of their corrective actions to address the activities for which they were identified in 2019. Mexico receives a negative certification because it did not take effective corrective action to address the increasing number of incursions and of repeat offenders.
Improving International Fisheries Management 2021 Report to Congress
Under the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act (Moratorium Protection Act) (16 U.S.C. §§ 1826h-1826k), Congress requires the Secretary of Commerce to submit a biennial report identifying nations or entities whose vessels have been engaged in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, bycatch of protected species, unsustainable fishing for sharks on the high seas, or whose own actions or failures undermine conservation measures of a regional fishery management organization (RFMO). After consulting with identified nations and entities on improving their relevant fisheries management and enforcement practices, the Secretary must certify in the next biennial report whether actions by the identified nations and entities have adequately addressed the activities of concern. In its 2019 Biennial Report to Congress, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) identified Ecuador for failing to comply with enforcement requirements of an RFMO, Mexico for having vessels fishing illegally in U.S. waters, and the Republic of Korea for failing to apply sufficient sanctions to deter its vessels from violating measures adopted by an RFMO. As required by the Moratorium Protection Act, Chapter IV of this report contains NMFS’ certification determinations for those nations. Ecuador and the Republic of Korea receive positive certifications on the basis of their corrective actions to address the activities for which they were identified in 2019. Mexico receives a negative certification because it did not take effective corrective action to address the increasing number of incursions and of repeat offenders.
