Posted on 12 December 2014

The European Commission has issued warnings to four states for failing to comply with strict new EU fisheries rules aimed at combatting illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing - a major cause of overfishing, and a key WWF priority. The four states, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu, bring to 17 the number of states warned to comply with the new rules or face sanctions, including a ban on exporting fish to the EU, if no remedial action is taken within 6 months. IUU fishing – estimated to cost between €8 and €19 billion annually, representing 11 to 26 million tonnes of catch - depletes fish stocks, damages marine ecosystems, penalizes legitimate fishers and jeopardizes the livelihoods of vulnerable communities. 

Original article posted on: 12.12.14       Updated on: 19.03.15