Press release No. 0026
Statement of the OPO tuna FIP in Ecuador by EU yellow card.
As is public knowledge, the European Union has granted Ecuador a yellow card on fishery issues. However, the issue has been published implying that Ecuador has repeatedly engaged in illegal fishing practices, which is false. What the European Union seeks to strengthen is the fishing law. Among the issues addressed by the law are penalties and penalty for non-compliance.
Ecuador has been working among the national government for more than a year through the Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade, Investments and Fisheries, in coordination with TUNACONS, as well as business associations and other actors in the chain to have a National Plan for industrial fishing of tuna (PAN Tuna), which strengthens the processes for sustainability for the resource and industry.
A National Action Plan is a technical and specific guide that serves governments to guide short, medium and long term actions that guarantee an efficient administration of the fishery that includes all components: monitoring, information gathering, scientific research, reduction of impacts on ecosystems, control system and sanctions, technological changes, etc., so that the future of that fishery is planned based on the Plan that is also adaptive and can be periodically reviewed and reformed in an Advisory Council that is up to date with what can be improved along the way according to the new provisions at national or CIAT level.
Ecuador is the first and so far the only member country of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (CIAT) to launch a management strategy through the implementation of a tuna NAP, there are already national examples that Ecuador has implemented similar plans being the The only one in the region to have a Management Plan on Planted Management, PAN Dorado, PAN Shrimp Pomada and PAN Tiburon.
After a year of work, the process will be completed in the coming weeks for which the Ministry will develop a final workshop with all the actors involved to guarantee that the implementation of the PAN Tuna becomes a permanent government policy, which will serve as a basis for improve the monitoring and requirements that the European Union has requested to strengthen.
Working together for a healthy marine ecosystem, Tunacons.