Council Regulation (EC) No 2092/2000 of 28 September 2000 prohibiting imports of Atlantic blue-fin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) originating in Belize, Honduras and Equatorial Guinea

Council Regulation (EC) No 2092/2000
of 28 September 2000
prohibiting imports of Atlantic blue-fin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) originating in Belize, Honduras and Equatorial Guinea
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 133 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
Whereas:
(1) Fishery resources, which are an exhaustible natural resource, must be protected in the interests of biological balances and global food security.
(2) The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT), to which the European Community is a Contracting Party, adopted, in 1994, an Action Plan to ensure the effectiveness of the conservation program for Atlantic blue-fin Tuna as well as the 1996 Recommendation regarding compliance in the blue-fin Tuna and north Atlantic swordfish fisheries, to ensure the effective conservation of Atlantic blue-fin tuna and the enforcement thereof.
(3) The stock concerned cannot be managed effectively by the ICCAT contracting parties, whose fishermen are obliged to reduce their catches of Atlantic blue-fin tuna, unless all non-contracting parties cooperate with ICCAT and comply with its conservation and management measures.
(4) ICCAT has identified Belize, Honduras and Equatorial Guinea as countries whose vessels fish Atlantic blue-fin tuna in a manner prejudicial to the organisation's measures to conserve the species, substantiating its findings with data concerning catches, trade and the observation of vessels.
(5) ICCAT's attempts to encourage the three countries to comply with measures for the conservation and management of Atlantic blue-fin tuna have been to no avail.
(6) ICCAT has instructed the contracting parties to take appropriate measures to continue to prohibit imports from Belize and Honduras and to introduce an import prohibition from Equatorial Guinea of Atlantic blue-fin tuna products in any form; these measures will be lifted as soon as it is established that the countries in question have brought their fishing practices into line with ICCAT's measures; these measures must therefore be implemented by the Community, having the sole competence in this matter.
(7) ICCAT has recognised the improved cooperation in the conservation of Atlantic blue-fin tuna with Panama; ICCAT has at its annual meeting in 1999 recommended that the import prohibition applied by contracting parties against Panama for Atlantic blue-fin tuna products in any form, should be lifted.
(8) It is necessary to repeal Regulation (EC) No 1435/98(1) applying import prohibitions against Belize, Honduras and Panama regarding blue-fin tuna and its products.
(9) These measures are compatible with the Community's obligations under other international agreements,