The United States is calling for strengthened regional management measures on transshipment which they hoped to be addressed in the upcoming Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission ( WCPFC) meeting in Vietnam later this month.
“The United States remains concerned about the risks that transshipment represents in supporting illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing operations and other criminal activities, ‘ the proposal stated
Over US$142 million worth of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) products is transshipped each year, a 2016 study estimated, most of it misreported or not reported by licensed fishing vessels.
“To address this concern, the U.S.supports strengthening the WCPFC Conservation and Management Measure on the Regulation of Transshipment (CMM 2009-06) to help address such concerns,” the US proposed in the upcoming meeting.
In the last meeting, the Commission agreed to conduct a review of the current measure in transshipment. (By: L.N. Reklai)