The Dominican Council of Fisheries and Aquaculture (Codopesca) requested the collaboration of organisms of United Nations so that the collaborators of that institution obtain the tools to improve the work against the illegal fishing in the country.
That request resulted in the development, until this Friday, of the “workshop training on control measures illegal fishingunreported and unregulated” taught by the Organization of the United Nations for Food and Agriculture (FAO), together with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The director of Codopesca, Carlos José Then, told Free Diary that in the Dominican Republic there are UNODC technicians from Costa Rica and Chile to achieve this objective.
“Which we are preparing our collaborators so that they identify when these types of activities are carried out and that they have the necessary tools to combat the illegal fishing“said the official.
Agreement
At the opening of the workshop, the representative of the Organization of the United Nations for Food and Agriculture (FAO) in the Dominican Republic, Rodrigo Castañeda, urged the Caribbean nation to adhere to the Port State Agreement, conceived by the UN agency to combat illegal fishing.
The FAO representative stated that this agreement, created in 2009 and signed by more than 60 countries, “is global for combat illegal fishing and ensure that our waters are part of an international sustainable management system.
Castañeda reported that one in five fish captured in the world comes from the illegal fishing. He argued that this problem is equivalent to an annual cost of up to 23 billion dollars, “which significantly affects fishing communities that depend on small-scale fishing for their subsistence in developing countries.”
“It is alarming to know that one in five fish caught in the world comes from illegal fishing”FAO representative in the DR
Asked about Castañeda’s statements regarding the Port State Agreement, Then indicated that for a few months he has supported the country’s entry into the agreement, while reporting that they requested the approval of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Presidency.
“You know that they are issues of United Nations and they take a lot of time, but we as a regulatory institution we gave the go-ahead and we request inclusion. “It is of utmost importance because many countries are integrating, we are working on that,” he indicated.
Eat more fish
Rodrigo Castañeda maintained that the Caribbean nation must also increase fish consumptionwhich is currently only 8 kilos per person per yearwhile the FAO recommendation is at least 20 kilos per person per year for a healthy diet.
Castañeda urged to promote consumption of fish that comes from responsible and sustainable fishing, thus guaranteeing better nutrition.
According to the Fish Safety Foundation, more than 100,000 people die annually in legal or illegal fishing activities around the world.
The illegal fishingunreported and unregulated (IUU fishing) also affects boat and net builders, processors, ice manufacturers, small and medium-sized traders of fishing products, who see their work and income reduced, the statement said.
