Greenpeace is calling on the government to push for fisheries reform so that Taiwan’s fishing industry can have a sustainable future.
The call came Monday after the European Commission (EC) issued a “yellow card” to Taiwan in early October. That was after a Taiwanese fishing boat was caught illegally trawling for tuna and carrying shark fins in international waters last month.
In a press release, the EC said Taiwan has “serious shortcomings in the fisheries legal framework, a system of sanctions that does not deter illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.” The commission also said Taiwan lacks effective monitoring, control, and surveillance of the long-distance fleet.
A Greenpeace official, Yen Ning, said on Monday that the commission will impose a ban on Taiwan’s exports of fishery products to the European Union if no progress is made to improve the situation within six months. She said the ban could deal a heavy blow to Taiwan’s fishing industry as its production value is worth NT$520 million dollars (US$17.3 million).