Ecuador and Uruguay signed an agreement on the exchange of information on fisheries and aquaculture

Ecuador and Uruguay have agreed on a series of measures aimed at protecting marine resources in the region. This is why they signed a five-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the city of Manta (Manabí), with the aim of strengthening surveillance and compliance measures for aquaculture and fisheries activities, as well as guaranteeing long-term sustainability. marine ecosystems.

The joint initiative will focus on the exchange of key information between both countries through the Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade, Investment and Fisheries of Ecuador and the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries of Uruguay. Each government has agreed to provide data on fishing vessels operating in their waters, share knowledge of activities detected within their 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone and issue warnings to suspicious vessels attempting to land illegally caught fish in ports.

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Andrés Arens, Ecuador’s Deputy Minister of Aquaculture and Fisheries, explained that by sharing information with Uruguay about illegal activities that have been detected and their commitment to do the same, they are ensuring that people and companies that do not follow the rules are stopped. “Through stricter control and enforcement, we will be better able to deter illegal operators and keep our waters safe,” Arens said.

For his part, Jaime Coronel, head of the National Water Resources Authority of Uruguay, emphasized the importance of controlling illegal fishing activities in the region. “Landings in ports that comply with the Agreement on Port State Measures are essential to maintaining catch control and preventing, deterring and eliminating illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing,” the Uruguayan official said.

He added that through this partnership with Ecuador, his country is ready to thwart attempts by IUU boats to land their catch in its ports, thereby strengthening security in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

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Meanwhile, Tahiana Fajardo, International Fisheries Project Officer of The Pew Charitable Trusts, praised the collaborative efforts of Ecuador and Uruguay in their fight against illegal fishing, ensuring that this partnership between the Pacific country and the Atlantic South American country sends a positive message about the importance of increasing regional cooperation for conservation oceans and transparent communication about fishing and port activities.

“We look forward to seeing how these joint efforts will improve fishing and the fight against IUU in Ecuador and Uruguay in the coming years,” Fajardo said. In addition to the exchange of information, the Memorandum of Understanding commits both countries to active participation in international forums, such as the Committee on Fisheries of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

In addition, the Ecuadorian side pointed out that these efforts aim to draw attention to the interconnected impacts of climate change, fisheries management and IUU fishing not only individually in each country, but throughout the South American region and the global ocean.

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