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US Reportedly Threatens To Ban Some UK Fish Imports as London Greenlights Antarctic Poaching

© AFP 2023 / JOE JACKSONBritish fisherman Barry Stockton hauls crates of freshly caught fish aboard fishing trawler 'Stephanie' docked in the harbour in the fishing town of Brixham on the south coast of England on March 26, 2018. - On the dockside in Brixham, a bustling fishing port in southwestern England, the fear is that Britain's departure from the European Union may prove a false dawn for hopes of taking back control. The area voted 63 percent in favour of leaving the EU in the 2016 referendum -- a sign of the anger over its fishing quotas and equal access rights blamed for a long-term decline of the industry. But with exactly one year to go from Thursday before Britain's scheduled departure date, fishermen see signs that their concerns could be traded away in negotiations with Brussels. (Photo by Joe JACKSON / AFP)
British fisherman Barry Stockton hauls crates of freshly caught fish aboard fishing trawler 'Stephanie' docked in the harbour in the fishing town of Brixham on the south coast of England on March 26, 2018. - On the dockside in Brixham, a bustling fishing port in southwestern England, the fear is that Britain's departure from the European Union may prove a false dawn for hopes of taking back control. The area voted 63 percent in favour of leaving the EU in the 2016 referendum -- a sign of the anger over its fishing quotas and equal access rights blamed for a long-term decline of the industry. But with exactly one year to go from Thursday before Britain's scheduled departure date, fishermen see signs that their concerns could be traded away in negotiations with Brussels. (Photo by Joe JACKSON / AFP) - Sputnik International, 1920, 24.06.2022
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Member-states of the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) failed to negotiate new Antarctic fishing norms for the fifth time in 2021. One of the disputed areas is the coast of the UK-controlled South Georgia, where London has issued fished permits that Washington deems illegal.
The US has accused the UK of breaching international law after London unilaterally issued fishing licenses to operate in Antarctic areas outside the current norms issued by the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), the AP has reported citing correspondence between unnamed US lawmakers.
CCAMLR is the global body which regulates fishing limits and regions to prevent biodiversity reduction in the Antarctic, and any disregard of its decisions by both US and foreign vessels is considered to be illegal and effectively poaching under US law.
Recently, London opted to unilaterally issue fishing licenses for the coast of South Georgia, a small UK-controlled island in the Antarctic. The move prompted condemnation from Washington, which warned that it violated current CCAMLR rules, rendering the catch illegal, according to the AP.
As a result, US officials have reportedly threatened to ban some British fish imports of catches caught near the location.
French fishermen blocking port access in Calais over a fishing row between France and the UK. - Sputnik International, 1920, 17.12.2021
French Minister: Paris Will Ask EU Commission to Start Litigation Against UK Over Fishing Licences
In a comment for The Guardian, a UK Foreign Office spokesperson defended the permits, claiming that London decided to unilaterally issue licenses to catch Patagonia toothfish, a local endemic species that is highly valued by fishermen, “within the framework agreed by all CCAMLR members”. The spokesperson said that the move is intended as a countermeasure against Russia’s alleged "egregious [block]" of new fishing agreements for the region at the CCAMLR’s November 2021 meeting.
However, Russia was not the only country blocking the passing of new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), which limit fishing rights in the Antarctic, during the November 2021 CCAMLR gathering. China also vetoed their approval, with both countries citing scientific concerns which were disregarded by other members.
Despite the vetoes, both Russia and China are likely keen to negotiate new MPAs to advance plans to significantly expand Antarctic krill fishing – a booming sphere in the industry.
November was the fifth time in a row that CCAMLR members failed to agree on new MPAs and opted to stick with pre-existing fishing norms. The UK's move to disregard the CCAMLR decision is the first time that a member-state has violated the global body’s rules in 40 years.
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