MEDIA RELEASE
SIOFA STAMPS OUT UNDER-REGULATED TOOTHFISH FISHING
New measures have been adopted by the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement’s Meeting of Parties (SIOFA MoP) in Mauritius last week, which will effectively eliminate under-regulated toothfish operations within the Agreement area.
The SIOFA Agreement closes a loophole that existed within the existing rules, which allowed a signatory nation to permit their vessels to operate without catch limits or bycatch limits in areas adjacent to existing managed toothfish fisheries.
Austral Fisheries’ CEO David Carter said, “Over the past 18 months, an under-regulated catch of close to 800 tonnes of toothfish has been caught across two areas within SIOFA waters.It is simply not acceptable that this be allowed to happen and so we are pleased to see new rules put in place to prevent this.”
Mr Carter praised the role of the Australian Government in placing pressure and influence on SIOFA Contracting Parties to close the loophole.
“I would like to sincerely thank the Australian Department of Agriculture, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority, the Australian Antarctic Division, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Science, the Attorney-General’s Department and the large network of players that helped close this loophole. This result ensures that toothfish fisheries remain sustainable.”
The SIOFA Agreement is one of the newest Regional Fisheries Management Organisations and Austral Fisheries is committed to working with SIOFA’s Contracting Parties and the Australian Government to ensure that its fisheries are managed in a sustainable manner, in accordance with sound, robust science.
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Media contact:
Sam Pullman
Media & Communications Officer
spullman@australfisheries.com.au
0425 222 453
See also:
This is a follow-up to Austral Fisheries’ previous media release titled TOOTHFISH STOCKS IN JEOPARDY AS SPANISH FLAGGED VESSELS FISH WITHOUT RESTRAINT which was made public on June 12, 2019.
More info on Austral Fisheries:
Austral Fisheries is one of Australia’s leading commercial fishing companies, specialising in environmentally responsible fishing practices that catch and source sustainable seafood. Austral catches and processes MSC certified Patagonian Toothfish and Mackerel Icefish, as well as MSC certified wild ocean caught Banana prawns and Tiger prawns for global markets. The company and its products have been certified as Carbon Neutral under the Australian Government Carbon Neutral Program.