Cyprus urged to lead on fishing vessel transparency

Fisheries transparency has emerged as an early test of Cyprus’ leadership of the Council of the European Union, as Oceana urged the government to tighten rules on fishing vessel ownership to curb illegal fishing and protect compliant operators.

With Cyprus holding the EU Council Presidency, the country is now at the centre of policy debates extending beyond national borders, including fisheries governance where environmental protection, economic fairness and regulatory credibility intersect.

In this context, international non-governmental organisation (NGO) Oceana formally addressed Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou, calling for stronger transparency over the ownership of fishing vessels owned by Cypriot citizens or companies but operating under non-EU flags.

The organisation warned that some operators register vessels in countries with weak regulations and lax controls, enabling them to hide their identities and engage in activities that may not meet the environmental or social standards applied to Cypriot-flagged vessels.

Oceana highlighted that in 2022, four fishing vessels flying the flags of Cameroon and Panama were traced back to owners in Cyprus, with both flag states identified by the EU as failing to effectively address illegal fishing.

In its letter, the organisation stressed that identifying those who profit from foreign fishing activities, particularly the ultimate vessel owners, is essential to prevent illegal fishing and protect law-abiding operators.

Oceana also pointed to the risk of illicit financial flows entering Cyprus when ownership structures remain opaque.

The issue stems from a structural feature of the global fishing industry, where the legal use of so-called flags of convenience can create significant gaps in transparency and oversight.

The letter explained that registering vessels in jurisdictions with weaker enforcement makes it harder for authorities to trace accountability when vessels are linked to illegal fishing.

One example cited was the fishing vessel Soley, which is owned by a Cypriot company but registered in Belize, a country known for weak oversight of fishing vessels.

Despite its registration, Soley has spent years fishing in Mauritanian waters with no real operational connection to Belize.

By operating under a non-EU flag, the vessel avoids compliance with EU fisheries and social sustainability standards and is not subject to the same level of monitoring and control as EU-flagged vessels.

Oceana said these concerns are reinforced by a recent analysis identifying 105 EU-owned fishing vessels registered in jurisdictions with a high risk of illegal fishing.

These jurisdictions include flags of convenience, tax havens and countries facing EU warnings for failing to tackle illegal fishing.

The vessels are linked to EU citizens or companies, with the highest concentrations found in Spain, Portugal and Lithuania.

Notably, 33 of these vessels are authorised to export their catch to the EU, directly connecting opaque ownership structures with the EU market.

The analysis also identified ownership links between Cypriot nationals and two fishing vessels registered in Equatorial Guinea and Belize.

Both countries are considered flag-of-convenience states by the International Transport Workers’ Federation.

Oceana argued that effective fisheries management depends on knowing who ultimately controls fishing vessels.

When responsibility is blurred, compliant fishers face unfair competition, while marine ecosystems already under pressure bear the environmental costs.

In regions such as the Mediterranean and West Africa, where overfishing remains a persistent challenge, weak enforcement can quickly undermine conservation efforts.

Cyprus’ EU Presidency amplifies these concerns by allowing it to set priorities and drive political momentum.

With fisheries and ocean governance already high on the EU agenda, and growing scrutiny of supply-chain integrity and sustainability claims, Cyprus’ role places it in a position to reinforce the bloc’s credibility.

Oceana argued that Cyprus can help close a known enforcement gap by strengthening transparency requirements for foreign-owned vessels at national level.

The organisation proposed targeted measures requiring Cypriot citizens and companies to declare any legal, beneficial or financial interests in fishing vessels flagged outside the EU.

Such measures would not prohibit ownership but would allow authorities to gain a clear picture of fishing capacity linked to Cyprus, regardless of where vessels are registered or operate.

This visibility, Oceana said, is a prerequisite for credible monitoring and effective enforcement.

The recommendations align with broader EU developments, including a recent European Commission study on open ship registers and the risks linked to opaque ownership structures.

The study concluded that the use of flags of convenience is closely associated with environmental harm, weak labour rights and a range of criminal activities such as illegal fishing and money laundering.

With the assessment now complete, EU member states are expected to proceed with implementation.

As the holder of the EU Council Presidency, Cyprus is well placed to help ensure that policy momentum is maintained.

The implications extend beyond fisheries policy, as ownership transparency has become a defining issue across sectors including shipping, finance, energy and trade.

For the EU, consistency between internal standards and external practices is increasingly viewed as a test of credibility.

Allowing EU-linked interests in fishing vessels to operate through opaque structures abroad risks undermining policy coherence and weakening trust in the EU.

For Cyprus, the issue also carries reputational weight, given the country’s efforts to strengthen governance frameworks and reinforce trust at EU level.

The letter closed with an offer of further engagement and positioned Oceana as a source of technical expertise and advocacy.

Oceana underlined its wider mission as the largest international organisation dedicated solely to ocean conservation.

The organisation said a restored ocean can sustain healthy seafood supplies in the long term, but achieving this depends as much on governance decisions on land as on conservation at sea.

As Cyprus leads the EU Council, how it advances fisheries transparency will shape perceptions of its leadership and commitment to rules-based oversight.

Ahead of the Our Ocean Conference in June and the first anniversary of the Ocean Pact, where the EU committed to tackling flags of convenience and ensuring transparency of beneficial ownership, Oceana urged Cyprus to adopt disclosure requirements to prevent EU citizens and companies from benefiting from activities potentially linked to illegal fishing.