EU lifts Kiribati’s “yellow card” following reforms of its fisheries control system

Summary:

The European Commission announced on 4 December 2020 the lifting of the yellow card to Kiribati in the framework of its regime for fighting against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

Further information:

Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing is seen by the European Union (EU) as one of the most serious threats to the sustainable exploitation of living aquatic resources. It is also deemed a major hazard to the marine environment, the sustainability of fish stocks and marine biodiversity.

Under the so-called IUU Regulation, the European Commission issued a yellow card against Kiribati in April 2016 as a warning that the country was not doing enough to tackle IUU fishing. Since then, Kiribati implemented a series of reforms to bring their fisheries control legislation in line with international law, in close cooperation with the European Commission. The lifting of the yellow card is seen as recognition of the progress reached by Kiribati in addressing the shortcomings in its fisheries governance.

Official

European Commission: Questions and Answers - What is IUU fishing? (4 December 2020) https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_20_2288

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