In less than four years, Ecuador has gone from being sanctioned by the European Union (EU) with a yellow card because it considered it an uncooperative country and did not have the necessary elements of control against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. , until 2025, chair the FAO Agreement on Port State Measures (Amerp), the most important and relevant binding international agreement in the fight against these irregularities.

This, after unanimously, with 101 votes, the plenary meeting of the Fourth Meeting of the Parties of AMERP elected the Deputy Minister of Aquaculture and Fisheries, Andrés Arens, as the president of this area.

Ecuadorian fishing, “in the final stretch” to return to the green card with the European Union

This designation coincides with Ecuador’s expectations regarding the lifting of sanctions imposed by the European bloc, after the fulfillment of all requirements and demands, among which are the traceability of fishery products, the new Fisheries Law, the operation of a satellite platform for monitoring ships, etc. other advances, in which about 60 million dollars was invested.

Fishing is one of Ecuador’s main export products. Canned fish is the third non-oil shipment from the country to the world, after shrimp and bananas.

In 2022, these sales amounted to 1,367 million dollars, with a growth of 8%; while fish exports reached $269 million and instead recorded a 7% decline, according to official Central Bank data released by the Ministry of Production.

However, in the first quarter of 2023, according to data from the Ecuadorian Federation of Exporters (Fedexpor), canned fish suffered a 2% drop in exports from $304 million in foreign currency, likewise, tuna and fish fell by 33% in shipments from $85 million in exports.

Meanwhile, the appointment appointing Deputy Minister Arens took place in Bali, Indonesia, from May 8 to 12; More than 200 delegates from all over the world participated, as well as representatives of intergovernmental organizations and non-governmental organizations. At the meeting, Manta was also determined as the venue for the fifth meeting scheduled for May 2025.

Arens highlighted the efforts being made in the country to make the controls work. “As coastal states, we have the authority and responsibility to ensure that vessels using our ports comply with applicable fishing regulations.”

Pierre Karleskind: I am convinced that Ecuador will receive the green card in 2023

To date, this forum has 75 parties, including the European Union.

The meeting of the parties is a two-year colloquium for issues related to the implementation of the agreement. The States Parties explained the importance of ending the pilot period of the Global Information Exchange System (GIES) and starting the operational phase at the end of 2023.

This exchange is carried out specifically on the available data on the entry of foreign-flagged vessels detailed in Amerp.

From 2021, Ecuador participates in the GIES testing sessions, in the update of the FAO platform, the world ship register, the national contact points and the register of designated and authorized ports.