The high seas today are like the American Wild West of the 19th century, only the bandits are huge factory fishing vessels and there is no sheriff in town. "Black lists" have been created by some regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) to identify vessels that engage in illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. But these lists are not shared so the vessels simply move to another area of the ocean and continue fishing, change their names and nationalities (their flags), or fish in an area of the high seas where there are no rules. While virtually every government supports an end to IUU fishing, most rarely act to combat it because effectively constraining illegal fishing means improving monitoring, control and enforcement for all fishing. This is costly and requires dedicated resources, which some governments do not want to expend.
Illegal fishing undermines management efforts to control overfishing and poses a major threat to the health of fish stocks and other ocean life. It has been estimated that almost one-fifth of all fish caught in our oceans have been fished illegally or in waters that lack any management whatsoever (unregulated waters). The coastal waters of developing countries and the waters of the high seas (international waters) are particularly vulnerable to vessels that fish illegally and can operate internationally.
In November 2009, the Conference of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) adopted the “Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing” (PSMA) . This landmark international treaty requires port States to inspect fishing vessels and close their harbors to ships operating illegally.
The Pew Environment Group supports the fast ratification and implementation of the Agreement as an essential contribution to combating IUU fishing and ensuring a sustainable future for marine life across our oceans.
