Shedding the Stigma of 'Potential Illegal Fishing Nation'... Just 4 Months After Designation

[Asia Economy Reporter Joo Sang-don] South Korea has shed the stigma of being a 'provisional illegal fishing country.'

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced that the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a 'Provisional Eligibility Certificate' on the 21st (U.S. local time), lifting the dishonor 125 days after South Korea was designated as a provisional IUU (Illegal, Unreported, Unregulated) fishing country.

NOAA designated South Korea as a provisional IUU fishing country in its '2019 International Fisheries Management Improvement Report' submitted to the U.S. Congress last September. This was due to two South Korean distant-water vessels continuing to fish in the Antarctic waters despite the closure notice of the fishing grounds, violating the conservation measures of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) in December 2017.

At that time, NOAA reported to Congress that the fines under South Korea's 'Distant-water Fisheries Development Act' were insufficient to deprive economic gains obtained through illegal fishing, indicating inadequate deterrence against illegal fishing.

In response, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries agreed with the U.S. last year to lift the designation early once the Distant-water Fisheries Development Act was amended to introduce a penalty surcharge system. Typically, lifting an IUU fishing country designation takes more than two years after designation. To achieve this, the South Korean government and National Assembly completed the amendment of the Distant-water Fisheries Development Act within four months after the bill was submitted.

At the request of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), in October last year, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries jointly held a 'Korea-U.S. FTA Environmental Consultation' in Seoul to explain South Korea's efforts to eradicate illegal fishing. Subsequently, additional bilateral consultations were held with NOAA and State Department officials. Following this, the U.S. reviewed whether the amended Distant-water Fisheries Development Act could effectively control illegal fishing, leading to the issuance of the provisional eligibility certificate.

A Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official stated, "Eradicating IUU fishing to secure the sustainability of marine resources is a critical challenge faced by the international community," adding, "Taking this opportunity, the government will do its utmost together with the industry and civic groups to prevent the recurrence of illegal fishing so that distrust from the international community and concerns from the public do not arise again."