European fishing fleets have been accused of illegally netting tuna from dwindling stocks in the Indian Ocean, according to data presented to EU authorities and analysed by expert groups. The allegations come from reports by OceanMind and the Blue Marine Foundation, which suggest that EU purse seine vessels likely carried out unauthorised catches in the waters of coastal states.
The investigations found evidence that EU vessels fished in the Chagos archipelago marine protected area and in Mozambique’s exclusive economic zone. Analysis of publicly available EU data from 2016 to 2020 revealed fishing activity, and subsequent checks confirmed the vessels were not authorised. A second report, using automatic identification system (AIS) data, found that some vessels switched off the system, which could indicate illegal fishing.
Scientists have warned that the expansion of tuna fisheries could lead to extinction, as populations of skipjack, bigeye and yellowfin tuna come under increasing pressure. The findings were presented at a meeting of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission in Seychelles, highlighting the problem of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing globally.
The Blue Marine Foundation reported that some EU vessels in the western Indian Ocean “went dark” for an average of three-quarters of the period from January 2017 to April 2019. Sources confirmed that EU vessels have had no licences to fish in Somali waters since 2013, and Indian authorities have not issued licences to EU vessels.
Anne-France Mattlet of Europêche denied that EU vessels fished in Somali waters. The European Commission stated a zero-tolerance policy for IUU fishing and said it has proposed a high-sea boarding and inspection scheme. A Commission spokesperson noted that AIS might be switched off for valid reasons and that going dark does not necessarily imply illegal fishing.
