The blacklist of fishing vessels that will be banned from catching tuna in the main Pacific fishery could grow dramatically by year's end. The blacklist was a hot topic at the Central and Western Pacific Fisheries Commission - also known as the Tuna Commission - which has just completed its annual compliance meeting in Pohnpei in the Federated States of Micronesia.
The Compliance Meeting considered referrals of more than a dozen vessels to the black list - vessels engaged in illegal, unreported or unknown fishing operations. The full Commission meeting in December will make a final decision, where Wendell Sanford will be the Complicance Meeting Chairman.
Wendell Sanford said to ABC news: “We will provide more names. So yes, the list that we're providing to the Commission for its consideration this year will be longer than the list last yearâ€.
It seems that most of those to be referred are Taiwanese or Chinese owned. Marshall Islands Marine Resource Authority Director Glen Joseph says “they'll certainly feel the impacts, because these vessels are not allowed to fish any more in these waters and hopefully all waters of the world. And that's how serious this IUU List is!â€
