Trade ministry responds to European ban on Trinidad and Tobago fish

The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) says it will continue to seek access to the European Union market for local fisheries and fish-containing products, despite the recent ban the EU imposed on Trinidad and Tobago fish products.

The ban stemmed from TT’s failure to certify that fish caught by local vessels and exported to the EU do not stem from illegal fishing activities.

As a result, the European Commission (EC) listed TT as a non-co-operating country in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The ministry said in a press release, “Only 0.022 per cent of TT’s fisheries exports are destined to the EU. Furthermore, when total trade is considered, fishing exports to the EU account for only 0.00007 per cent of TT’s trade with that region.”

It described the export of fish products, particularly to the EU, as a complex issue, but reiterated its support for sustainable fisheries.

The ministry added, “In this regard, the MTI continues to work with the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, and other regional and international stakeholders, to ensure that the requisite legal framework, and monitoring, control and surveillance mechanisms are in place locally to meet international requirements.”

TT was issued a yellow-card warning in April 2016, but EU Commissioner for environment, oceans and fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius said this was upgraded to a "red card" after insufficient action was taken to address the EU’s concerns, despite its support.

The EU said TT did not adopt an adequate fisheries legal framework regulating and controlling the activities of national fishing vessels, fishing activities in waters under national jurisdiction, and the activities of foreign fishing vessels calling at ports in the country.

TT was also chastised for not having legislation which ensured compliance with regional conservation and management measures and empowered authorities to inspect fisheries.

The regional bloc added that the situation compromised the traceability of the fisheries products caught, landed or transhipped in TT and left the doors open for fisheries products potentially stemming from IUU fishing to enter the market.