Spanish tuna vessel. (Photo: Terje Engoe/Copyright: FIS)

Spanish tuna fleet proposes the EC to implement its standard for fish imports

EUROPEAN UNION
Thursday, April 26, 2018, 02:30 (GMT + 9)

The Spanish tuna fleet, grouped in the Organization of Associated Producers of Large Freezer Tuna Vessels (OPAGAC), has proposed the European Commission to use its AENOR Responsible Fishing Tuna (APR) standard as the basis for a future standard for fish import requirements of the EU.

OPAGAC stresses that its APR standard is the only one in the world fishing sector that guarantees social and labour rights on board, beyond the current legal requirements, based on ILO Convention 188 (ratified, so far, by only 10 countries).

With this request, OPAGAC aims to ensure that the EU guarantees Europeans the consumption of fish that meet minimum requirements in terms of control, environmental sustainability and labour rights.

The organization has transferred this request to the EU Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Karmenu Vella, on the occasion of its participation in a debate organized by the European Commission at the Seafood Expo Global, which takes place this week in Brussels.

In this regard, it should be noted that the Spanish tuna fleet is already working to convert APR into the basis for developing a standard of the European Committee for Standardization, which it hopes will serve as a reference for the European market to demand these standards for the import of tuna as well as the extension of this type of regulations to all the fleets at a global level, with the purpose of eliminating illegal fishing.

"The European institutions are responsible for ensuring that fishery products that reach the EU market come from legal fleets, that is, fleets that do not allow the violation of human rights and practices such as slavery, human trafficking or child labour exploitation," said Julio Morón, OPAGAC managing director.

"The fight against illegal fishing goes through the implementation of the same rules to both European and foreign fleets that supply the European market, and in this sense, the EU plays an indispensable role, demanding and exporting our high standards to the rest of the international fleet," he added

The APR standard establishes a series of requirements in line with Convention 188, such as minimum wages, hours of rest, prevention of occupational risks and social security, as well as recognizing the right to collective bargaining. These social and labour conditions apply to the 1,600 crew members -- 900 from third countries -- of the OPAGAC fleet.

Just this week (Tuesday, April 24), the Committee of Fisheries of the European Parliament has adopted the report of Linnéa Ergström on "The implementation of control measures to determine the conformity of fishery products with the criteria of market access of the Union", in line with the demand of OPAGAC, CEPESCA and Europêche to request from the EU market the same standards required for the production of the Community fleet. Now the European Commission will be responsible for establishing the legislation that corresponds to the mandate of the Parliament and OPAGAC is confident that these standards reflect the provisions of the APR Standard.

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