The European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) has expanded its activities to the Indian Ocean.
The agency has adopted the first joint deployment plan (JDP) for this ocean area.
The plan relates to control and inspection of activities by EU purse seine and support vessels on tropical tuna species, as in yellowfin tuna, bigeye tuna, skipjack tuna, in the Indian Ocean
JDPs are the legal and operational vehicle through which EFCA organises the coordination of fisheries control activities of member states.
The Indian Ocean JDP will entail coordination by EFCA of the inspection activities by France, Italy and Spain in ports in the Indian Ocean region where the landings of the three tropical tuna species take place.
The coordination activities will include the exchange of data and information, the application of joint risk management, and the deployment of joint teams of EU inspectors, the EFCA says.
¨The adoption of this JDP means a great step forward in the inspection effort of these important fisheries in the Indian Ocean region,¨ Susan Steele, EFCA executive director, says.
The EFCA says it is also providing technical support through a workshop in Mozambique on risk management in fisheries in the area.
The workshop is organised in the framework of the EU funded programme ECOFISH in close cooperation with the Indian Ocean Commission.
This brought together officials in charge of inspection and control of fisheries, from eight countries - Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Somalia, Tanzania and Kenya.