Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing

by Dr Kimberly Riskas September 20, 2024

 

Fisheries are a key source of nutrition and employment for over 3 billion people around the world. Unfortunately, around 20% of the seafood produced each year is a product of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. 

 

What is illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing?

IUU fishing is a broad term that encompasses a range of fishing activities that are illegal, unreported or unregulated. Examples of illegal fishing include fishing in a protected area, using prohibited gear types, catching protected species, or breaking other rules that apply to the vessel or location. Unreported fishing involves misreporting catches to national or international authorities, or not reporting them at all. Unregulated fishing occurs when vessels operate in areas not managed by national or international authorities, like some areas of the high seas.

However, by its nature, IUU fishing is hard to track. Studies have estimated that 1 in 5 fish landed globally is the product of IUU fishing (1). But since IUU fishing occurs in both commercial and small-scale fisheries, from coastal waters to the vast high seas, it is extremely difficult to know exactly how much IUU fishing is happening at any given time.

 

 

Where does IUU fishing occur?

IUU fishing has been reported in every ocean in the world. Known hotspots of illegal fishing include Southeast Asia, the eastern central Atlantic, the northwest Pacific and the southeast Pacific. A recent study exposed a swathe of unregulated squid fisheries operating in the northwest Pacific, southeast Pacific and northern Indian Ocean (2).

 

 

Australia has a global reputation for responding strongly to IUU fishing in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Incursions into Australia’s EEZ have risen sharply in recent years, largely due to increases in vessels coming from Indonesia and Vietnam (3). These vessels are targeting valuable species like sea cucumber, snapper, sharks and giant clams, which are already depleted in southeast Asian waters.

Regardless of where IUU fishing is happening, global seafood supply chains are becoming increasingly connected. This means that seafood caught in IUU fisheries can be laundered with legitimate catches and make its way to supermarkets and restaurants all over the world. Due to poor oversight of these complex supply chains, we often don’t know where our seafood comes from.

 

 

Why does IUU fishing occur?

The drivers of IUU fishing are complex and vary by region. Generally, IUU fishing occurs in the pursuit of profit and is most prevalent in areas where enforcement capacity is low, such as the high seas or in developing countries. Vessels engaged in IUU fishing also target commercially valuable species, and then unload their catches at dodgy ports called ‘ports of convenience’ (4).

Catches from IUU fishing can also be offloaded to another vessel at sea, a practice called transshipment. While transshipment is not illegal on its own, unauthorised transshipments enable illicit catches to be laundered in with legitimate ones, obscuring the true origin of the catch (5). 

 

 

Bad actors increase profits by cutting operating costs wherever possible. Examples can include:

• underpaying or not paying workers;
• exceeding fishing quotas;
• selling valuable protected species; and
• funnelling revenue through tax havens.

These dodgy activities allow IUU fisheries to undercut legitimate fisheries that comply with catch limits and pay workers fairly.

 

 

What are the impacts of IUU fishing?

There are a multitude of environmental, economic, social and political impacts of IUU fishing. These disproportionately affect developing countries, which tend to lack adequate resources to monitor their oceans or enforce existing rules. Unfortunately, these are the same countries that are the least equipped to stop IUU fishing.

Marine ecosystems are harmed in several ways by IUU fishing. Vessels engaged in IUU fishing may not report their catches, which makes it difficult for scientists and fishery managers to determine stock health and set catch limits for legitimate fisheries. IUU fisheries are less likely to comply with conservation measures designed to protect marine life and ecosystems, like obeying fisheries closures or using bycatch reduction devices. IUU fishing fleets may also target or retain threatened and protected species, such as sea cucumbers and marine turtles, for their high value in the wildlife trade (6). Ultimately, these activities have a negative impact on the sustainability of fisheries and seafood products.

The economic impacts of IUU fishing can be costly and far reaching. As long as IUU fishing remains profitable, there will be an incentive for bad actors to continue doing it. In fact, IUU fisheries catches are worth an estimated US$10 billion to 23.5 billion annually, representing huge losses for legitimate fisheries (7). In Nigeria, the estimated revenue lost from IUU fishing is equal to the value of the entire country’s shrimp exports (8). For coastal communities reliant on fisheries, overfishing by foreign IUU fishing poses a threat to local livelihoods and food security.

 

 

IUU fishing takes a devastating toll on people. Human rights abuses, forced labour, slavery at sea and even murder have been reported to occur on vessels engaged in IUU fishing (9). Debt bondage traps fishers at sea for years, working in dangerous and inhumane conditions. An estimated 128,000 fishers are enslaved aboard fishing vessels worldwide (10). While recent investigations have shed light on the issue, IUU fishing has a significant impact on human wellbeing and requires urgent action globally.

 

 

Is IUU fishing linked to other types of crime?

There is evidence that IUU fishing is connected to other types of transnational organised crime, such as trafficking drugs, weapons, wildlife and people (11). For instance, in Southeast Asia the trafficking of hawksbill turtles occurs in the same space and time as current patterns of IUU fishing (12). The use of fishing vessels to smuggle drugs is also increasing, with fishers being pushed into the trade to make ends meet, or under pressure from drug traffickers (13).

IUU fishing isn’t just about what happens on the ocean. The companies behind IUU fishing operations engage in a number of ‘administrative’ crimes to hide their money and avoid sanctions. These include document forgery, money laundering, use of shell corporations and tax havens, bribery, joint ventures, and other shady practices (14). Authorities often can’t find and punish the person who profits from a vessel’s IUU fishing, or the beneficial owner, because they are hidden behind a maze of front companies.

 

 

What is AMCS doing to stop IUU fishing?

IUU fishing will continue to exist as long as there is a financial incentive and market for dodgy seafood. Since Australia imports 65% of the seafood we consume, it is imperative that we work to close Australia’s markets to seafood produced by IUU fishing. The AMCS Fair Catch Campaign is working in alliance with key stakeholders to tackle this issue.

 

IUU Seafood Imports Framework:

First, we need to know exactly what we are importing. We need 22 pieces of information to know what your seafood is, where it’s from and how it was produced. For most imported seafood, the Australian government currently only requires two of these.

An ambitious and well-funded IUU seafood imports framework is the first major step to knowing what we’re importing and preventing the importation of seafood sourced from IUU fishing.

Since the launch of the Fair Catch Campaign, we’ve provided expert input into a multi-stakeholder consultation process on an IUU imports framework led by the Department of Agriculture, Fishing, and Forestry. We’re currently awaiting the release of the government’s final report, and will be working to ensure that a robust seafood imports framework is implemented.

AMCS is calling on the government to release an ambitious seafood imports framework with a clear implementation timeline. The main proposals include:

• Catch documentation scheme (CDS) to monitor species at risk of coming from IUU fisheries;
• Reform of tariff codes to allow more clarity on what we’re importing; and
• A Seafood Imports Stakeholder Expert Committee (SISEC) to guide this implementation.

AMCS is also strongly encouraging the government to expand this framework to include human rights issues, which are known to occur in supply chains of many popular products, such as squid and tuna.

You can read our submissions to the consultation process in 2023 and 2024.

 

Seafood Labelling:

Consumers are currently being left in the dark about what they’re eating. At supermarkets, restaurants and fish and chip shops, Australians can’t be sure what their seafood is, where it’s from, or how it was produced. In a recent survey across Australia, around a quarter of seafood products were mislabelled (15). This figure varies by species, rising to a staggering 70% for shark products (16).

We’re calling on the Australian Government to fix our fishy labelling laws so you know what’s on your plate.

Last year, we saw a significant step forward with new rules nationwide for Country of Origin Labelling in the hospitality sector. From 2025, seafood will have to be labelled as Australian (A), Imported (I) or Mixed (M) origin.

While this is a great first step, seafood labelling still has a long way to go. We need labels to say what your seafood is, where it’s from and how it was produced. Our action calling for better seafood labelling will be presented to key policymakers – add your name now.

 

 

References:

1. Agnew, David J., et al. “Estimating the worldwide extent of illegal fishing.” PloS one 4.2 (2009): e4570.
2. Seto, Katherine L., et al. “Fishing through the cracks: The unregulated nature of global squid fisheries.” Science advances 9.10 (2023): eadd8125.
3. Australian Fisheries Management Authority. “International Compliance and Engagement Program 2022-2024.” Australian Government (2021). Available for download: https://www.afma.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-02/afma_international_compliance_and_engagement_program_2022-24_tagged.pdf
4. Petrossian, Gohar A. “Preventing illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing: A situational approach.” Biological Conservation 189 (2015): 39-48.
5. Boerder, Kristina, Nathan A. Miller, and Boris Worm. “Global hot spots of transshipment of fish catch at sea.” Science advances 4.7 (2018): eaat7159.
6. Riskas, Kimberly A., et al. “Evaluating the threat of IUU fishing to sea turtles in the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia using expert elicitation.” Biological Conservation 217 (2018): 232-239.
7. Agnew, David J., et al. “Estimating the worldwide extent of illegal fishing.” PloS one 4.2 (2009): e4570.
8. Okafor-Yarwood, Ifesinachi. “Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, and the complexities of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) for countries in the Gulf of Guinea.” Marine Policy 99 (2019): 414-422.
9. The Outlaw Ocean Project. https://www.theoutlawocean.com/investigations/china-the-superpower-of-seafood/a-fleet-prone-to-captive-labor-and-plunder/
10. Global Estimates of Modern Slavery: Forced Labour and Forced Marriage International Labour Organization (ILO), Walk Free, and International Organization for Migration (IOM), Geneva, 2022. Available for download: https://www.ilo.org/sites/default/files/wcmsp5/groups/public/@ed_norm/@ipec/documents/publication/wcms_854733.pdf
11. Telesetsky, Anastasia. “Laundering fish in the global undercurrents: Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and transnational organized crime.” Ecology LQ 41 (2014): 939.
12. Miller, Emily A., et al. “The historical development of complex global trafficking networks for marine wildlife.” Science Advances 5.3 (2019): eaav5948.
13. Belhabib, Dyhia, Philippe Le Billon, and David J. Wrathall. “Narco‐Fish: Global fisheries and drug trafficking.” Fish and Fisheries 21.5 (2020): 992-1007.
14. Trygg Mat Tracking and C4ADS. (2020) Spotlight on the exploitation of company structures by illegal fishing operations. Available for download: https://www.tm-tracking.org/post/illegal-fishing-operators-exploit-company-structures-to-cover-up-illegal-operations#:~:text=A%20new%20briefing%20published%20today,and%20hide%20ultimate%20beneficial%20ownership.
15. Cundy, Megan E., et al. “Seafood label quality and mislabelling rates hamper consumer choices for sustainability in Australia.” Scientific Reports 13.1 (2023): 10146.
16. Kielniacz, Teagan J. Parker, Adam J. Stow, and Nicolette C. Armansin. “High levels of mislabelling of shark flesh in Australian fish markets and seafood shops.” Marine and Freshwater Research 75.7 (2024).