Press Release: Commission welcomes major new instrument to fight illegal fishing in the Antarctic

The European Commission welcomes the measures recently adopted by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Living Marine Resources (CCAMLR) in Hobart, Australia, to fight illegal fishing in the CCAMLR area. CCAMLR Members will now have to investigate and where appropriate take action against any of their nationals suspected of engaging in illegal fishing activities within the area managed by CCAMLR. The scheme is not limited to the capture phase, but covers the whole chain of fishing activity, including transhipment, transport and marketing. Members must cooperate with one another in providing information that is necessary for successful investigations, and must provide timely reports to the CCAMLR secretariat on any actions they have taken under the scheme. The measure was proposed by the European Union, and adopted by consensus.