A U.S. government agency has identified six nations, including France and Italy, as practising IUU fishing, a process that may finally lead to denied entry into U.S. ports and prohibited imports of fish products from that nation.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said in a first-ever report to the US Congress that fishing vessels from France, Italy, Libya, Panama, the People’s Republic of China and Tunisia were engaged in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in 2007 or 2008. This opens the way for consultations between the U.S. government and officials of each of the six nations to encourage them to take corrective action to stop IUU fishing by their vessels. Following consultations, NOAA will formally certify each of the six nations either as adopting effective measures to stop IUU fishing, or having vessels engaged in IUU fishing…