EU warns 8 nations about illegal fishing
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union is warning eight nations from around the world to improve their fight against illegal fishing or risk sanctions.
EU Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki said Thursday that naming Belize, Cambodia, Fiji, Guinea, Panama, Sri Lanka, Togo and Vanuatu did not mean they were put on a black list, but rather they were given a warning without measures attached to it at the moment.
The EU says that illegal and unregulated fishing accounts for 19 percent of global value for catches.
Damanaki said that Indonesia has been cooperating with the EU for a year to counter the problem and avoided being put on the warning list.
If the nations concerned do not cooperate they could face trade sanctions in the fisheries sector.
