Fisheries ministers have agreed new measures to counter the import of illegal and unregulated fish products into the EU.
Increased inspections at European ports, a new certificate system for fishing boats from outside the EU and increased fines were adopted at a meeting in Luxembourg this morning.
Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUU) is valued at €10bn worldwide and is regarded as a major contributor to over-fishing.
It is estimated that some 500,000 tonnes of IUU fish products, worth about €1.1bn, enter the EU each year resulting in a loss of market share for EU fishermen.
Under the new measures, there will be increased inspections at EU ports based on a risk analysis with a strong focus on vessels from countries which have offended in the past.
The majority of fish landed in Europe from outside the EU is thought to be at the Dutch port of Rotterdam.
Vessels landing fish from outside EU waters will need a certificate verifying that the fish was caught legally.
Offending boat owners will be fined five times the value of the catch. It will be up to individual member states to apply criminal sanctions.
European fishermen only provide between 30-40% of the demand for fish across the EU, so the majority of fish bought by European consumers comes from further afield.
IUU fish tends to be landed by rogue vessels, or those flagged in states like Panama.
