#using prohibited gear

[endillegalfishingday]

 Strategies to Combat IUU Fishing.

Proposal for the Combat of IUU Fishing  

1. Partnerships with Governments for At-Sea Patrols: We partner with countries to enhance their capacity to enforce existing fisheries regulations and deter IUU fishing within their EEZ. Sea Shepherd has a fleet of well-equipped vessels staffed with experienced crews and volunteers, including captains, marine engineers, deckhands, and media teams. Government officials join our crews during at-sea patrols to conduct inspections and enforce regulations with the power of arrest, escorting them back to port for justice. These patrols not only establish a law enforcement presence at sea, they also illuminate where laws need to be amended and fines increased to deter illegal actors.

2. Advanced Monitoring Technologies: Collaborations with organizations like Global Fishing Watch and Skylight enhance our ability to monitor vast ocean areas through the use of Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS), AIS, and satellite imagery to track fishing vessel movements and identify suspicious activities such as "dark vessels" that turn off their transponders to avoid surveillance. This allows us and our partners to target enforcement efforts more effectively.

3. Training and Capacity Building: We provide training for local law enforcement officials in surveillance techniques, boarding procedures, marine conservation issues, and legal protocols for prosecuting offenders. This empowers local authorities to sustain enforcement and conservation efforts independently.

4. Public Awareness: While it’s incredibly important to be on the frontlines using direct action to combat IUU fishing, it’s also crucial to document it. Not many people, including lawmakers, let alone the public, have the access that we do. Our social media reach, documentaries, and press coverage raise awareness on the issues of IUU fishing and its impacts on marine ecosystems and coastal communities, mobilizing public support for stronger regulations and empowering consumers to make more informed decisions. We’ve been featured on prominent platforms and documentaries such as Netflix's "Seaspiracy," Animal Planet's "Ocean Warriors," National Geographic's "Trafficked with Mariana van Zeller," and Sir David Attenborough's "A Perfect Planet.” Our stories have also been featured in publications like The New York Times and The New Yorker, shining an important spotlight on what’s really happening at sea, and previously hidden from public scrutiny.

5. Advocacy for Policy Change: Advocating for stronger national and international policies is crucial. Engaging with policymakers, stakeholders, and international bodies to push for stricter regulations, higher penalties for offenders, and increased funding for enforcement can drive significant changes. Sea Shepherd's collaboration with governments to amend and enforce fishing laws exemplifies the impact of sustained advocacy efforts.

[endillegalfishingday]

Why is IUU Fishing a Problem?

In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly highlighted the grave issue of IUU fishing, recognizing it as a major threat on multiple levels:

Threat to Marine Wildlife and Ecosystems: IUU fishing severely impacts marine biodiversity. It decimates fish populations, disrupts food chains, and results in high bycatch rates, where non-target species like dolphins, sharks, and turtles are unintentionally caught and killed. Bycatch from IUU fishing can be extensive, with hundreds of thousands of marine animals, including endangered species, being discarded dead or dying. This indiscriminate fishing threatens the survival of many marine species and disrupts the balance of ocean ecosystems.

Economic Impact: IUU fishing costs developing nations between $2 to $15 billion in economic losses annually. This economic strain threatens coastal economies that rely heavily on fishing for their livelihoods.

Threat to Coastal Communities: Millions of people in low-income countries depend on fish as their primary source of protein and fishing as their main livelihood. IUU fishing reduces the availability of fish for local consumption and economic activities. This leads to food insecurity and increased poverty among coastal populations. For example, the depletion of local fish populations forces fishers to travel further and spend more time at sea, oftentimes out of sight of land, putting their lives at risk.

Human Rights Violations: IUU fishing often involves human rights abuses, including forced labor and human trafficking. Fishermen working on illegal vessels may face deplorable conditions, including long hours, low or no pay, physical abuse, and lack of safety measures. These conditions violate basic human rights and labor standards. Reports have documented cases where crew members are subjected to inhumane treatment, confined on vessels for months or even years, and denied access to medical care.

Undermining Conservation Efforts: IUU fishing makes it difficult to collect accurate data on fish populations, hindering effective management and conservation strategies. This unregulated exploitation of the ocean jeopardizes global efforts to achieve sustainable development goals, particularly those related to life below water (SDG 14).

Global Security Concerns: The illicit nature of IUU fishing contributes to broader security issues. It is often linked with other forms of transnational organized crime, such as drug trafficking and smuggling. The lack of regulation and oversight in international waters allows these illegal activities to flourish, posing a significant threat to global maritime security. Furthermore, the illegal profits from IUU fishing can fuel corruption and undermine governance in coastal states.