EU Urges Tougher Penalties for Illegal Fishing
Date: 31-May-05
Country: BELGIUM
Fishermen paid 28.7 million euros in penalties for breaking the law and over-fishing in 2003, the Commission said. But fines represented just 0.004 percent of the value of fish landed at ports in 2002, it added.
"The level of fines remains too modest to represent a real deterrent for wrongdoers," the Commission said in a statement.
"An administrative sanction such as the suspension of a fishing licence may be an effective way to encourage compliance as it could be quickly applied."
The EU sets annual fishing quotas in a bid to protect endangered species such as cod but also to ensure the survival of the fishing industry.
There were 9,502 breaches of EU fishing rules in 2003, the European Commission said in its annual report, up approximately 41 percent from the previous year.
But the Commission said these figures should be treated with caution given the sketchy data provided by EU governments.
Spain, Italy and Portugal, which have the bloc's largest fleets, reported the most breaches of fishing law in 2003.
Fines for illegal fishing vary hugely across the 25-nation bloc, from 375 euros in Belgium to 19,255 euros in Britain.
