Mission Ocean

Presented by Global Ocean Commission

In support of the IUU proposal, EJF’s community surveillance project in West Africa is monitoring and reporting pirate fishing by industrial vessels in inshore areas. Since the beginning of the project in 2010, more than 300 reports of vessels operating illegally have been documented and the evidence has been transmitted to authorities in coastal States, flag States and the EU. EJF’s evidence has been used to fine vessels, block illegal consignments of fish, and sanction poor-performing flag States. EJF’s work to track illegally-caught fish to the EU seafood market has clearly shown the potential impact of mobilising grassroots actors and depriving market access to illegal operators. EJF is increasingly using satellite technology to identify illegal fishing further offshore and illegal transhipments of fish at sea.

A Word from the Organisation

“Illegal fishing operators thrive due to the lack of transparency in the global fishing industry. Vessels can easily change identities to avoid sanctions and to ensure that past offences remain hidden from regulators and seafood buyers. The work of the Global Ocean Commission is essential in bringing fishing vessels ‘out of the shadows’ and making sure that there are clear, achievable and cost-effective strategies to protect some of the world’s richest and most diverse ecosystems. “

Associated Proposals

Proposal 4

Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing

Proposal 4

Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing

Setting IMO mandatory numbers for large fishing vessels, banning at-sea transshipment, ratifying and implementing international fisheries and labour treaties. Creating greater collaboration with industry and other stakeholders.

Proposal 4

Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing

Learn more about this proposal

Illegal fishing severely undermines all existing conservation and management measures in place for fish stocks. It costs the global economy between US$10 and US$23.5 billion a year, and is largely carried out by vessels from a handful of countries that do not adhere to or comply with international regulations.

Poor countries, which do not have the capacity to monitor their waters and whose vital resources diminish because of illegal pillage, are the worst affected. Illegal fishing is also linked to other forms of criminality as fishing vessels can also be used for smuggling people, drugs and weapons. The illegality of the practice needs to be established, the likelihood of being caught and sanctioned needs to be increased, and illegally caught fish must be prevented from entering markets.

In order to combat and end illegal fishing, the Global Ocean Commission is calling for:

  • All high seas fishing vessels to carry a unique identification number and transponders, in order to be internationally identifiable and tracked in real time;
  • The banning of at-sea transshipment of fish;
  • Countries to adhere to international regulations relating to port entry control (Port State Measures Agreement);
  • Countries should adhere and comply with regional fisheries organisations and arrangements for high seas fish stocks and monitor activities of their nationals and fishing vessels;
  • Regional fisheries organisations should share information on potential illegal activities with other organisations and with enforcement agencies, and maintain coordinated lists of suspected illegal fishing vessels;
  • Illegal fishing vessels should have their flags removed, be refused access to ports and not be allowed access to markets for the fish that they have caught;
  • Countries should monitor all fishing vessels entering their ports, and deny entry to suspected illegal operators and their catch;
  • Governments should collaborate with industry and affected stakeholders to create a global information-sharing platform able to monitor and exchange data on all fishing vessels movements in real time, and so deter IUU fishing;
  • Retailers should commit to sourcing sustainable seafood and adopting effective traceability schemes;
  • Civil society organisations should step-up in their role as independent watchdogs to ensure the application of international and regional regulations. Local, national, and international authorities should collaborate with such independent watchdogs.