IUU Fishing Archives

Problematic EU ownership of fishing vessels in countries that fail to tackle illegal fishing

A lack of transparency in the global fishing sector is enabling illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. IUU fishing depletes fish stocks, destroys marine habitats, distorts competition, and weakens coastal communities – particularly in developing countries. It is a high-benefit activity – often associated with human, drugs, and weapons trafficking, tax fraud, money laundering, and … Read more

The EU must do more to block illegal seafood products from the EU market

European Court of Auditors determines that there are effective EU rules in place to prevent illegal fishing and to stop illegally-caught seafood from ending up on European dinner plates. However, the rules are undermined by a lack of effort from Member States, including a failure to impose deterrent sanctions. Because of the uneven implementation by … Read more

Spain fines fishing vessels for turning off mandatory location tracker, following Oceana analysis

As a result of data provided by Oceana, the Spanish government sanctioned two Spanish fishing vessels, Releixo and Egaluze, with a fine of 20.000 euros for turning off their automatic identification systems (AIS) on several occasions without cause, which is illegal for Spanish fishing vessels. During the 4-year period between 2012 and 2016, the two … Read more

AIS: What is it?

Automatic Identification System (AIS) is a tracking system that automatically transmits a vessel’s identity, speed and GPS location. This factsheet explains how the Automatic Identification System (AIS) works and why it’s essential for monitoring global fishing activity. AIS increases transparency at sea by broadcasting a vessel’s identity, location, and speed, helping deter illegal fishing and … Read more

Electronic monitoring devices enhance safety at sea and traceability for small-scale fishing fleets

Despite being an invaluable resource for human livelihoods, the ocean is under immense pressure with growing threats hitting from multiple fronts. Overfishing, illegal fishing, marine habitat destruction, climate change, and pollution all disrupt the delicate balance needed to preserve aquatic ecosystems, and with it the livelihood of coastal communities, especially artisanal fishers who depend on … Read more

Oceana expedition to Alboran Sea uncovers underwater oasis and ‘wasteland’

Gathered data will also support advocacy efforts to ban bottom trawling in European Marine Protected Areas Single-use plastics, abandoned fishing gear, and untreated waste most common pollutants found in seven-day expedition Madrid – Oceana concluded its expedition to the Alboran Sea (South of Spain), where the organisation gathered first-hand evidence of plastic pollution and bottom … Read more

MEPs and the EU Fisheries Control Coalition call on Fisheries Ministers to digitalise the fishing sector

Ahead of a key negotiating meeting scheduled for the 21st of June, key Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and the EU Fisheries Control Coalition call on the Member States to be ambitious in requiring the installation of vessel tracking systems for all EU fishing vessels, as well as cameras on vessels at high risk … Read more

Risky business: How companies can avoid supporting illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing

IUU fishing constitutes one of the most serious threats to sustainable fisheries and to a healthy ocean. Weaknesses in international fisheries governance make IUU fishing a notoriously difficult issue to tackle, and assistance from the private sector is critical. All companies that offer services to the fishing sector can play a significant role in helping … Read more

EU regulation prevents abusive reflagging, but profits from illegal fishing can still enter EU – new eNGO study

The EU has addressed loopholes that previously allowed its fishing vessels to rapidly and frequently change flags to evade fisheries laws, a new assessment by the EU IUU Fishing Coalition* has found. The work evaluates the effectiveness of the Sustainable Management of External Fishing Fleets (SMEFF) Regulation – an EU law adopted in 2018 for … Read more

Driving Improvements in Fisheries Governance Globally: Impact of the EU IUU Carding Scheme on Belize, Guinea, Solomon Islands and Thailand

The European Union’s Regulation establishing a Community system to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is a world-leading legal instrument designed to stop the flow of IUU-caught fish entering the EU market. One key component of the so-called ‘IUU Regulation’ is the EU’s cooperation and ongoing dialogues with third countries, through … Read more