CAMBODIA has been criticized by the international environmental group Greenpeace
International for providing Cambodian "flags of convenience" to vessels
involved in illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing (IUU) in the Atlantic Ocean.
London-based Greenpeace International spokesman Simon Reddy says involvement of Cambodian-flagged
ships in unregulated fishing was highlighted on May 6 when the Cambodian-flagged
ship Benny 87 was observed trans-shipping 70 tons of big-eye tuna off the coast of
Angola in violation of regulations of the International Commission for the Conservation
of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).
"There are three other tuna longliners flying the flag of Cambodia on the ICCAT
list of vessels operating in contravention of ICCAT rules [and] there might be more
fishing outside rules and controls," Reddy told the Post. "Unless Cambodia
becomes a member of ICCAT and commits to enforce ICCAT rules upon vessels flying
its flag, no Cambodian fishing vessel should be authorized to fish tuna in the [Atlantic
Ocean and Mediterranean Sea]."
The Greenpeace disclosures come in the run-up to an October meeting of the United
Nations Food and Agriculture Organization designed to form an international action
plan to combat illegal fishing worldwide.
Officials of the Cambodian Ministry of Public Works and Transport have consistently
refused repeated Post requests for clarification of Cambodian ship registration procedures.
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