43c/FConf/Report Annex 2 Motion 26: Fishing Industry


The 43rd Congress of the ITF, meeting in Sofia, Bulgaria from 10-­‐16 August 2014: 1. Notes that: 1. Fishery resources account for an important part of food protein production. It is worth recalling that the global output of the fishing catch was 16.8 million tonnes in 1950 and its output peaked at 86.4 t in 1996. 2010 global output data: 155 million tonnes, fishing catch: 77.4 million tonnes.


2. The European Union is the third biggest global power in fishing, behind China and Peru. In 2013 Europe imported more than 70% of the fishery produce that it consumed.


3. The marine fishing catch is still subject to illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing. Only the catch is taken into account, yet Council Regulation (EC) No. 1005/2008 of 29 September 2008 defining IUU fishing does not establish any social requirements.


4. Growing market demand and difficulties in implementing effective surveillance and control measures are factors that act as incentives to the outlaws of IUU fishing.


5. On 24th March 2014, the EU Council unveiled a set of measures addressing trade in fishing products with Belize, Cambodia and Guinea, proven practitioners of INN fishing. It will no longer be permitted for the catch made by vessels flying the flag of any of these three countries to be imported into the EU, while EU vessels will not be allowed to fish in the waters of those countries.


2. Notes further that it is both inadequate and tragic to “protect” marine waters through purely environmental policies while allowing vessels flying a “sub-­‐standard” flag to continue to ply their trade and to achieve legal market penetration with products resulting from human exploitation


3. Moves that in their claims and negotiations, all transport unions must adopt a new approach based on models put forward in the context of Corporate Social Responsibility.


4. That training on the understanding and implementation of this model for activists should be promoted and include the new challenges that are arising alongside continuing globalisation and transport deregulation


5. Further moves that, in order to perfect their image as respected negotiating partners, in the long term unions must also learn to work with the voluntary groups that revolve around transport activities: users/customers, environmental groups, and research and development teams.


6. The ITF Fisheries Committee further notes with deep concern that fishers working in the fishing industry worldwide are suffering intolerable exploitation and/or human rights abuses on a large scale. This is also a major contributory factor to IUU fishing.


7. Denounces the actions of many fishing companies and governments worldwide who are turning a blind eye to such unacceptable practices in the fishing industry.


Page 5 of 6


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6