GLOUCESTER - The federal government yesterday identified six foreign countries it said engaged in illegal fishing during the last two years, including the illicit harvesting of valuable and endangered stocks of Atlantic bluefin tuna.
The countries named in a report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — France, Italy, Libya, Panama, China and Tunisia — were the first the United States has ever specifically identified as violators of international fishing regulations.
The six nations now face potential trade sanctions from the United States, including a possible ban on the sale of their seafood in this country.
"Illegal fishing is a global problem that is depleting fish stocks and hurting the economies of nations and livelihoods of people who depend on sustainable fishing," said Jim Balsiger, an assistant administrator of NOAA's Fisheries Service.
The majority of violations identified in the NOAA report involved illegal or unregulated catches of bluefin tuna, a fish prized for its use as sushi and which has been severely depleted because of its popularity.
For fishermen in Gloucester and other fishing communities in Massachusetts, bluefin have long been a valuable resource, but overfishing in other parts of the world have reduced numbers of the ocean-roaming species.
Specific violations outlined in the report involving bluefin include:
Unreported catches by French fishermen using driftnets, use of spotter planes and other prohibited gear by Italian fishermen, and the Chinese government failing to report bluefin catches.
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