The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment has imposed for the first time, and by means of a pioneer measure in the European Union, financial penalties and fishing activity disqualification to Spanish crewmembers enrolled in a vessel included in the blacklist of the Convention on the Conservation of Marine Living Resources of Antarctica (CCAMLR), for their illegal fishing activities in Antarctica.
The vessel, FV Thunder, IMO6905408, has repeatedly changed its name and flag, thus hindering the application of disciplinary proceedings.
This resolution has been possible thanks to the collaboration of the Australian authorities, who collected the necessary evidentiary material to open the disciplinary proceedings, after a ship inspection carried out by the country’s inspection services.
Through the General Secretariat of Fisheries, Spain has implemented the provisions included in Royal Decree 2002 on penalties in the sea fisheries, for Spanish workers enrolled in convenience flag vessels, and Council Regulation 2008 to prevent and avoid Unreported and Unregulated Illegal fishing (IUU).
These regulations prohibit both enrolment for positions of command in vessels from third countries without prior notification to the General Secretariat of Fisheries, as well as the performance by nationals of EU Member States of paid work aboard vessels on IUU fishing lists.
This decision paves the way for a more effective global fight against IUU fishing.
Spain is one of the few countries that has domestic legislation for marine fisheries sanctions to nationals, serving on convenience flag vessels.
The Ministry stresses that the Spanish leadership in this area will soon be supplemented by ongoing legislative reforms, which aim to give Spain a solid legal framework in the fight against illegal fishing.
The goal is to eliminate these harmful practices that negatively impact on the sustainability of the stocks and unfair competition for national fleet, involving those foreign operators not subject to the rules on conservation and management of fishery resources, acting under flags of convenience, as well as any Spanish link with these activities.