The government is working to change the legal framework of the fishing industry to comply with EU demands to tighten the government’s control on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing by the nation’s large distant-water fishing fleet to avert EU trade sanctions on Taiwanese seafood, according to the Council of Agriculture, which oversees the fishing industry.
The move came after the European Commission issued a “yellow card” to Taiwan on Oct. 1, last year following the discovery of a Taiwanese fishing vessel violating shark finning regulations in international waters, and after a series of discussions between the EU and Taiwan over the elimination of illegal fishing practices.
The EU pointed to what it called Taiwan’s inadequate monitoring, control and surveillance of its long-distance fishing fleets.
It gave Taiwan six months to improve its legal framework and take corrective measures.
The six months have passed and Taiwan has not received a “red card” — an EU embargo on Taiwanese seafood, which would cause a loss of about NT$7 billion (US$214 million) in exports, according to Greenpeace.
Taiwan might have averted the EU’s “red card,” as it has taken action to improve the legal framework and seek better regional cooperation to combat IUU fishing, the organization said.
In March, before the end of an evaluation of the improvements made in the first phase after the yellow card was issued, the Executive Yuan approved a draft bill and several revisions to the fisheries law in an attempt to address the EU’s concerns.
A public hearing on the draft bill, regulations on distant fisheries, along with an amendment to the Fisheries Act (漁業法) and Ordinance to Govern Investment in the Operation of Foreign Flag Fishing Vessels (投資經營非我國籍漁船管理條例) is scheduled to take place tomorrow at the Legislative Yuan.
Although it was impossible to meet the EU’s deadline for drafting amendments and passing new laws by the end of March, the council said that if the EU approves of the nation’s progress with its improvement plan, the deadline could be moved forward by another six months, averting the risk of the EU issuing a “red card” and a consequent ban on Taiwanese seafood.
However, the draft bill and revisions must by approved by the legislature to become law before the legislative session ends in the middle of July to avert EU trade sanctions, an industry expert said.
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