Tracking Illegal, Unregulated and
Unreported Fishing
BALI, INDONESIA, 05 May 2007,
Saturday - Illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing also occurs in
Brunei Darussalam.
There were 480 cases of
foreign fishing vessels encroaching and fishing illegally in Brunei
waters between 2000 and 2006. This problem is difficult to combat
single-handedly without the collaborative effort regionally.
This observation was made
by the Minister of Industry and Primary Resources, Pehin Dato Dr Hj
Ahmad bin Hj Jumat, who was speaking during the Regional Ministerial
Meeting on "Promoting Responsible Fishing Practices" in Bali, Indonesia.
The Plan of Action is the
first step towards collaborative efforts in combating illegal,
unregulated and unreported fishing in the region by the countries
bordering the South China Sea, the Sulu-Sulawesi Seas as well as the
Arafura-Timor Seas.
At the conclusion of the
meeting, the ministers agreed on the establishment of a Coordination
Committee that will monitor and review the effective implementation of
the measures of the Plan of Action.
Among the issues addressed
during the meeting were: "Coastal state responsibility"; "Flag state
responsibility"; "Measures on ports states; "Regional market measures";
and, "Regional capacity building strengthens Monitoring, Control and
Surveillance (MCS) systems and transhipments at sea".
The follow up meeting will
be held in either July or August this year.
Brunei will be implementing
a moratorium on fishing in coastal areas early 2008.
Prior to the Regional
Ministerial Meeting, a senior official meeting was also held in Bali
from May 2 to 3.
Brunei was represented by
Dato Paduka Hj Mohd Hamid bin Hj Mohd Jaafar, the Permanent Secretary at
the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources, Director of Fisheries,
Hjh Hasnah bte Ibrahim and senior officials from the Department of
Fisheries.
- Courtesy of
Borneo Bulletin -
