The government is working to change its legal framework to comply with European Union (EU) demands to tighten controls on illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing by Taiwan’s large distant-water fishing fleet to avert EU trade sanctions on Taiwanese seafood, according to the Council of Agriculture, which oversees the fishing industry.
The move came after the European Commission issued a yellow card to Taiwan on Oct. 1, 2015 following the discovery of a Taiwanese fishing vessel violating shark finning laws in international waters, after a long series of discussions between the EU and Taipei over the elimination of illegal fishing practices.
In particular, the EU pointed to Taiwan’s inadequate monitoring, control, and surveillance of long-distance fleets.
It gave Taiwan six months to improve its legal framework and take corrective measures. Those six months have passed, and Taiwan has not yet received a “red card” which would entail Taiwan being banned from exporting seafood to the EU, a potential loss of an estimated NT$7 billion in trade, according to Greenpeace.
Taiwan may have averted the EU’s red card as it has taken action to improve the legal framework and seek better regional cooperation to combat IUU fishing. In March, just before the end of the evaluation of improvements made in the first phase since the yellow card was issued, the Executive Yuan passed a draft bill and revisions to an existing fishery law in an attempt to address the EU’s legal concerns.
A public hearing on the draft bill titled “Regulations on Distant Fisheries,” along with the amendment to the Fisheries Act and Ordinance to Govern Investment in the Operation of Foreign Flag Fishing Vessels, is scheduled for May 18 at the Legislative Yuan.
Although it was impossible to meet the EU’s deadline for making amendments and passing new laws by the end of March, the COA said that if the EU approves of Taiwan’s progress with the improvement plan, the deadline could be moved forward by a further six months, averting the threat of the EU issuing a red card and a consequent ban on Taiwanese seafood imports.
However, the draft bill and revisions must win ratification from the Legislative Yuan to become law before the current legislative session ends in mid-July to avert the EU trade sanctions, according to an industry expert.
1999 2016 The China Post