A scheme launched by the European Union to tackle the scourge of illegal fishing has started to bear fruit.
The “Carding Scheme” uses the EU’s power to warn and potentially sanction non-EU countries suspected of ignoring illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The scheme has seen a decrease in illegal fishing, which is excellent news. Since this type of fishing threatens the entire ocean ecosystem, the “Carding Scheme” has been in force since 2010, and all the evidence suggests that it is bearing fruit slowly but surely.
A typical example of the scheme’s success is the Solomon Islands which received a yellow card in December 2014. After that, the number of fisheries officers employed in the country has doubled. While in Thailand, following a 2019 yellow card, the number of fisheries officers is now over 4,000.
