Pirates Beware!

Heads turned yesterday when Senator Inuoye (HI-D) introduced a bill that would discourage illegal foreign vessels from docking in certain cities in the U.S.  While these vessels aren't committing violent acts off the coast of Africa, they are pirates in the basic sense of wreaking havoc on the environment and causing economic losses within marine communities and industries.  The legislation within the 2011 Port State Measures Agreement and Legislation is the first step in making it more difficult for these vessels to penetrate the trade market by disallowing them to make port.  And what are their commodities, you ask?  Why fish, of course!  If successfully passed, the Pirate Fishing Elimination Act will be the foundation for supporting domestic fishermen and processors.

Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is one of the largest challenges facing efforts to rebuild fish stocks and support sustainable resource management around the world, driven largely by a high demand for imports from large countries such as the U.S.  This legislation is bolstered by an agreement between the U.S. and European Union Commissioners signed in the summer that promises cooperative work to combat these pirate fishermen.  These agreements and legislation are huge milestones for NOAA, as the agency was responsible for drafting the legislation and will be the charged with implementing its provisions for enforcing licensing and reporting requirements.  Through NOAA, the U.S. will work to strengthen nations' abilities to enforce their fisheries management regimes in an attempt to discourage illegal activities.

It is true that the global marine community is far from ending IUU fishing or even curbing the $10-20 billion in annual losses, but the EU, Norway, Sri Lanka, and Myanmar have already ratified the agreement that has become known as "Not in Our Ports."  Big congrats to NMFS International Affairs for such an accomplishment.

Visit the NMFS homepage and stay tuned to hear the latest updates from Congress.