Panama seeks to avoid illegal fishing red card banning EU exports

After three years of receiving the yellow card as a warning of a non-cooperative nation in the fight against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, Panama is ready to seek a green card at another audit by the European Union (EU). 

The announcement came Friday at a meeting of an inter-institutional commission that, through a digital platform, shares the monitoring and surveillance of fishing vessels, as well as the implementation of processes and protocols of the IUU fishing and compliance with best practices, updated technology, and specialized human resources.

In 2019, the General Directorate of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (MARE) of the EU, imposed a yellow card on the country for not having adequate controls and that if the practice continued—, the country would be sanctioned with a red card, making it impossible to export the marine resource to European markets.

 The EU is the main market for Panamanian fishery exports and is only surpassed by bananas.