Cypriot fishing vessels in non-European Union countries need to address what have been described as critical gaps in law enforcement abroad, international advocacy group Oceana told the government on Tuesday.

“Transparency regarding vessel ownership is essential for enforcing fishing regulations, to ensure that illegal activities do not go unpunished and that legitimate businesses do not face unfair competition,” the group said.

Oceana, referring to a recent report, said their findings have revealed links between Cypriot interests and vessels registered in countries such as Belize and Equatorial Guinea.

Characterising the countries’ jurisdictions as defined by “inadequate oversight and limited control”, the group said the lack of control enabled illegal fishing practices and resulted in “unfair competition” among fishing companies.

In its appeal to the government, the group called for the full disclosure of the “hidden ownership” of the vessels, urging that information on the Cypriot companies that own them be gathered to address “a critical gap in law enforcement.”

Oceana said that in the recent past, it has identified at least 105 EU-owned vessels which had been registered in 20 different “high-risk countries”, with nearly one third of them authorised to export their catch to the EU.