“Transshipment provides an easy access point for illegal fishing vessel to unload their catches into the supply chain, away from coast guards and port authorities,” Greenpeace’s Tuna Project science advisor and head of delegation, Cat Dorey, told The Jakarta Post during the 21th IOTC Session in Yogyakarta on Thursday.

Greenpeace activists asked all of the meeting’s participants to take a picture while holding a large yellow banner emblazoned with messages “IOTC takes action now! Transshipment hides dirty secrets.” The picture was later uploaded to social media with a hashtag #StandAgainstTransshipment #IOTC.

Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti opened the IOTC meeting, which took place from May 22 to 26 and was attended by representatives of 35 IOTC member countries.

Dorey said the Yogyakarta meeting did not put a transshipment moratorium on its agenda even though transshipment could facilitate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Transshipment practices could also lead to overcapacity in the tuna industry and trigger human rights violations related to workers of fishing vessels. Transshipment had also prevented fishermen in developing countries from receiving a fair distribution of the sea haul.

“This is about illegal fishing and the violation of human rights,” said Dorey.

He said the IOTC must immediately implement a moratorium on transshipment practices. There should be tight regulations on vessels permitted to carry out transshipment and sanctions for any parties who violated the rules. (ebf)

Popular

RI, Australia strengthen partnership on taxing crypto assets

Analysis: Indonesia denies normalization with Israel to enter OECD

Citroen to produce electric cars in Indonesia