DEPARTMENT FOR
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS News Release (News Release ref
:392/07) issued by The Government News Network on 31 October 2007
UK Fisheries
Minister Jonathan Shaw has backed new European Union moves to
stamp out the global trade in illegal fish.
Ministers meeting in Lisbon this week signed a declaration aimed
at stopping illegal produce entering the food chain, calling for
existing control and surveillance measures aimed at fishermen,
processors and importers to be strengthened.
Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing is a worldwide
organised crime that deprives poor communities of up to $9 billion
in lost income every year - $1 billion of which is lost to Africa.
In April the UK government gave its backing to a new system to
beat illegal fishing around the world by tracking fish from the
moment they are caught to when they arrive on consumers' plates.
Jonathan Shaw said:
"Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing is a huge
problem and a major threat to fish stocks and marine life
globally. As the second biggest fish processor in Europe, the UK
has to play its part.
"Illegal fishing will always exist where there is a weak
link in the chain, where uneven enforcement fails to achieve a
level playing field and fishermen and processors that abide by the
rules are driven out of business.
"The private sector plays an essential role in the vanguard
against the illegal fish trade, and we are working closely with
our retail and processing industry to reduce the chance of illegal
produce entering the UK."
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