WWF works at many levels to curb illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Curbing illegal fishing
IUU fishing occurs in nearly all fisheries.
Often a professionally organized criminal activity, IUU fishing is a major contributor to overfishing of some fish populations, particularly on the High Seas.
Often a professionally organized criminal activity, IUU fishing is a major contributor to overfishing of some fish populations, particularly on the High Seas.
Examples include:
- Highlighting the need to reform the flags of convenience (FoC) system
There are currently as many as 1,300 fishing vessels of significant size taking advantage of cheap vessel registration services in countries that do not adequately enforce their obligations to manage the vessels they flag. For example, a 2005 report revealed the link between illegal fishing operations in the world’s oceans and countries that offer FoC to fishing vessels. The report makes several recommendations, which WWF is working to see implemented.
- Promoting the use of black lists for IUU vessels
- Promoting the need for increased cooperation and control measures by port states and flag states
- Implementing the recommendations of the OECD High Seas Task Force
WWF was a member of the OECD High Seas Task Force which in 2006 published practical recommendations for preventing and eliminating IUU fishing on the high seas. We are now supporting an international high-level panel working to implement these recommendations.
- Working with legitimate and responsible fishing companies.
For example, in 2003 a new international alliance of fishing companies to combat the illegal fishing of Patagonian toothfish in the Southern Ocean was launched. Working closely with WWF, the Coalition of Legal Toothfish (Patagonian) Operators (COLTO) includes fishing companies from Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, France, South Africa, Chile, Uruguay, Falkland Islands/Isles Malvinas, and Namibia. The coalition is determined to rid the southern seas of the illegal vessels that threaten the sustainability of the economically prized and ecologically valuable toothfish.
- Tightening trade controls
Huge reduction in illegal fishing
In the most successful example of WWF’s field–market–policy approach so far, the level of IUU fishing of Barents cod in the Barents Sea is estimated to have dropped by 50 per cent since 2005.
One factor behind this success was strong pressure from the UK’s whitefish buying sector, which pushed the European Fish Producers Association to develop a voluntary protocol to exclude IUU-caught Barents cod from the supply chain.
One factor behind this success was strong pressure from the UK’s whitefish buying sector, which pushed the European Fish Producers Association to develop a voluntary protocol to exclude IUU-caught Barents cod from the supply chain.