Sierra ends flag of convenience for fishing vessels
October 28th, 2010
Reuters
FREETOWN – Sierra Leone is closing its international shipping registry to foreign-owned fishing vessels in a move intended to reduce illegal catches in its seas and around the world, the fisheries minister said on Thursday.
Officials said the West African country — notorious as a so-called “flag of convenience” with minimum enforcement of maritime regulations — was the first such nation in the world to implement the measure.