[ad_1]
BEIJING, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) — European fishing boats flying local flags and operating under opaque conditions in some African waters have led to overfishing, threatening the livelihoods of local fishermen and the sustainability of fish resources, the Financial Times reported.
Changing the national registration of a fishing vessel can allow it to operate under authorities with weaker standards or enforcement than those of the European Union, while local flags sometimes allow vessels to fish in ways that are prohibited for vessels flying the European flag, the British daily reported.
The Financial Times and NGO Oceana found that as of July, there were 39 industrial fishing vessels flying the flags of Gambia, Mauritania, Senegal and Guinea-Bissau, despite ownership or management being linked to European companies. More than half of these vessels were licensed to ship seafood to the European Union to meet the continent’s growing demand.
The report pointed out that a trawler changed its flag from Spain to Mauritania in 2021, which enabled it to obtain a license to catch octopus the following year. Under the fisheries agreement reached between the European Union and Mauritania, vessels flying the European flag are not allowed to catch octopus.
While European companies argue that joint ventures with local partners bring investment to these regions, critics point to a lack of transparency in the joint ventures’ financial arrangements and question how much of the profits benefit local communities.
Local fishermen in countries such as Senegal complained to the Financial Times that dwindling fish stocks due to competition with foreign vessels were forcing them to head further out to sea or to Europe.
The report says Northwest Africa loses about $2 billion in revenue each year due to illegal and unregulated fishing, and that sustainable fish stocks have recently declined dramatically due to fishing and environmental changes.
[ad_2]
Source link
