Brazil signs Copenhagen Declaration against illegal fishing

Brazil has signed the Copenhagen Declaration, a document that places the nation as member of Blue Justice, an initiative by the Norwegian government and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) aimed at promoting transnational efforts against organized crime in the fishing industry. Brazil is the 34th country to join the group.

“It is an important initiative for Brazil’s image, and it should help us draft documents with proposals aiming at the protections of the oceans, where totally sustainable exploration of resources is possible. The Copenhagen Declaration is valuable as it recognizes the negative impact [of this kind of exploration, when conducted illegally] and identify criminal organizations [active in fishing]. This declaration shows how to address this problem, and for that we need global cooperation,” said Jens Frolic Holthe, secretary at the Norwegian Foreign Ministry, during the document’s online signing ceremony on Thursday (22).

Brazil’s Ambassador to Norway Paulo Roberto Ribeiro Guimarães said that Brazil has made strides in inspections of fishing activities in their maritime areas. In his view, international cooperation will make it possible for a network to be built to fight illegal fishing.

The Brazilian official assigned to sign the document, Jorge Seif Júnior, secretary for Aquaculture and Fishing at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fishing, and Supply, noted that, in addition to the key social and nutritional role it plays for peoples everywhere, fishing is "a multi-billion-dollar deal.”

He also stated that managers and decision makers should make use of better practices of governance and fishing management. “Intelligent, strategic, coordinated practices, based on scientific evidence and qualified data,” he said.