The National Chamber of Fisheries and Aquaculture of Panama, assured this Thursday that it is a group of industries and organizations that groups fishing activities and activities related to fishing that declare a policy of zero tolerance of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and we endorse any measure aimed at maintaining free access to international markets.
Concerned about the negative impacts of illegal, unregulated and unregulated (IUU) fishing, for which reason they openly expressed their commitment to take urgent measures on this activity and avoid the possibility of impeding free access to international markets.
In their statement they recognized the negative environmental and socioeconomic impacts of IUU fishing both in national waters and in waters beyond national jurisdiction and within the framework of the Our Oceans Conference that is being held in Panama City on March 2 and 3. , we join the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which constitutes a global threat to the conservation and sustainable management of living marine resources.
The members of the National Chamber of Fisheries and Aquaculture (CNPA), taking advantage of this celebration, reiterated their commitment to strengthen the corresponding actions to discourage this practice that affects our seas and oceans and that increases the risks of overfishing, hinders the sustainability of resources fisheries, and reduces the food security of our country and the rest of the world.
They indicated that, like the fishing industries of other countries, the Panamanian fishing sector has consolidated to establish control mechanisms and tools during the capture, transformation and commercialization processes of fishing products, submitting to the integrated and coordinated system of monitoring, control and government surveillance to prevent access and interference with products from IUU fishing.
The important advances made at the business level in fishing vessels, processing plants and landing sites, have been achieved with the training of the sector for due compliance in the use of legal fishing gear and methods, extraction in permitted sites, as well as the active participation of the different actors by the industry in the National Commission for Responsible Fishing, allowing the exchange between authorities and the private sector to responsibly manage the fisheries of our country and the adaptation of the new regulations that have been adopted in fishing matters.
We share a common objective as an industry to achieve a better quality of life for the Panamanian population and we have irrefutably and permanently joined the international fight for the eradication of this global threat, making important advances and executing actions that collaborate in discouraging these practices. fisheries that also affect the image and competitiveness of our industries and their products. Proof of this is the recent certification of the small pelagic fishery in Panama with MarineTrust standards, accessing important international markets, in addition, we have begun the process for the certification of member companies of the National Chamber of Fisheries and Aquaculture of Panama under responsible fishing standards, such as in the case of large pelagic fisheries, MSC certification in aquaculture, as well as the implementation of a national recycling program for disused fishing nets, among others.
Preventing, discouraging, and eliminating IUU fishing requires strong political and budgetary will, as well as concerted actions, which is why, once again, we express to the national government the importance of maintaining an open dialogue with the national and industrial fishing sector in order to to reinforce corrective actions on findings or shortcomings that we have had to face in the past and collaborate in the improvement of the inspection, surveillance and control systems of fishing activities.
They urge the various international organizations to continue strengthening their global capacity development programs to help developing countries implement international instruments to combat IUU fishing.
