Argentine fishing fleet vessels. (Photo Copyright: FIS)
ARGENTINAFriday, November 14, 2014, 01:00 (GMT + 9)
The Undersecretariat of Fisheries Office amended the 'Legal Catch Certificate of Argentina' to adapt it to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
The changes that have been introduced (through the provision 254/2014) are intended to meet CITES’ demands in relation to species of Chondrichthyes of SubclassElasmobranchii (sharks and rays), included in Appendix II.
The statements previous to the new provision published in the Official Gazette, the Undersecretariat noted that a number of shark species listed in that Appendix inhabit the Argentine Sea and are subject to commercial and artisanal capture, which may be the subject of international trade.
Therefore, "it is necessary to have documentation proving the legal origin of the specimens covered by the said Convention."
The Government must ensure that the resources have not been caught in violation of domestic law, and thus avoid hampering the export movement.
The National Certification System of Legal Catch was created in December 2009 to certify fisheries products caught in Argentine waters destined for the domestic and international trade.
This certificate is issued by the National Directorate of Fisheries Coordination once the conditions under which the catch was performed are verified.