Draft Action Plan to Combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing
OTTAWA - The Honourable Geoff Regan, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, today released Canada's draft National Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter, and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing (NPOA-IUU) for public consultation.
"Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activities undermine the efforts of Canada and other coastal States to effectively manage fish stocks inside their 200-mile exclusive economic zones and on the high seas," Minister Regan said. "This National Plan of Action shows Canada's commitment to the international process that has been established to eliminate these harmful practices and preserve our precious ocean resources."
The NPOA-IUU outlines Canada's existing actions and initiatives at the national level to combat IUU fishing activities, and promotes objectives such as greater coastal state responsibility and improved co-operation through regional fisheries management organizations.
The NPOA-IUU has been developed in line with the International Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IPOA-IUU), which was adopted by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2001. Following the public consultations, Canada will table the NPOA-IUU at the annual meeting of the FAO Committee on Fisheries from March 7-11, 2005 in Rome.
Seventy-five per cent of the world's fish stocks are estimated to be fully exploited or overexploited, and IUU fishing activities are a major contributor to overfishing. While the true magnitude of IUU fishing around the world is unknown, the FAO estimates that it accounted for up to 30 per cent of the total catch in 2000.
Canada's draft NPOA-IUU is available on the Web at www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/misc/npoa-iuu_e.htm. Members of the public can submit questions or comments on the NPOA-IUU by e-mail at npoa-pan@dfo-mpo.gc.ca until February 25, 2005.
Additional information about the Government of Canada's strategy to combat overfishing and improve international fisheries governance can be found at www.overfishing.gc.ca. Details of the upcoming Conference on the Governance of High Seas Fisheries and the United Nations Fish Agreement Moving from Words to Action in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, are available at www.fisheriesgovernanceconference.gc.ca
For more information:
Christiane Parcigneau
Media Relations
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Ottawa
(613) 998-1530
Brian Underhill
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Ottawa
(613) 992-3474
