1. Summary of findings
Initiatives to address IUU Fishing in a
global context
Mary Lack
Shellack Pty Ltd
2. Frank Meere and
Mary Lack in 2008
On behalf of Asia-
Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC)
Fisheries Working
Group
3. 21 member countries
◦ Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, China,
Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea,
Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea,
Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan,
Thailand, USA, Viet Nam
IUU study involved all of these plus all other
countries bordering the Pacific Ocean (48)
4. • To improve the understanding of the
challenges and obstacles to combating IUU
fishing in the region;
and
• To recommend actions to address the
problem
5. Questionnaire to elicit views and data on IUU
fishing
◦ to fisheries agencies in APEC member economies
and intergovernmental and non-governmental
organizations
Published studies
Grey literature
Case Studies
Expert input
6. Case studies
◦ Sulawesi Sea (Palmer and Tsamenyi, 2008)
◦ East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia (SeaResources
Management, 2008)
◦ Russian IUU sea urchin fishery (Krause, 2008)
◦ The Regional Plan of Action to promote responsible
fishing practices including Combating IUU fishing in
the Region (DAFF, IMMAF, 2008)
7. • Included each of the three forms of IUU
fishing
◦ Illegal, unreported and unregulated
• Focused on IUU fishing by foreign vessels
within other EEZs and IUU fishing on the high
seas
8. Data and information is limited and variable
in its reliability
Responses to questionnaire not
comprehensive
Conclusions may not apply to each and every
country and necessarily involve some
extrapolation
Analysis was up to 2008
9. Grouped the 48 economies into 4 groups
◦ North Pacific
◦ Southeastern Pacific
◦ Southeast Asia
◦ Western and Central Pacific
10. International Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and
Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated
Fishing (IPOA-IUU Fishing
11. At its broadest occurs where:
Vessels operate in violation of the laws of:
◦ A fishery under the jurisdiction of a coastal State
◦ High seas fisheries regulated by regional fisheries
bodies (RFBs)
Includes fishing:
◦ Without the necessary authorization
◦ In contravention of established rules
12. Refers to fishing activities which have not been
reported, or have been misreported, to:
the relevant national authority or a RFB, in
contravention of national laws and
regulations or the reporting procedures of
that body.
13. Generally refers to fishing activities:
In the area of an RFB by
unflagged vessels
vessels of flag States not party to the RFB
Can also refer to fishing in areas or for fish
stocks where there are no conservation and
management measures in place.
14. Estimates are piecemeal and uncertain
Countries generally do not estimate the extent/value of IUU
fishing in their waters
Estimates of IUU fishing in the region from
the literature:
• WCPO tuna US$134-400m
• Sulawesi Sea US$227m
• Indonesia/Philippines US$3b
• Papua New Guinea US$26.55m
• Asia –Pacific US%5b
• Asia –Pacific 3.4-8.1m
tonnes (16% of
catch)
15. Poor governance
◦ lack of domestic management arrangements
◦ lack of MCS capacity
◦ lack of flag State control
in neighbouring EEZs
on the high seas
◦ undelimited or disputed boundaries
Worth the risk
◦ Perception of low risk of being detected
◦ strong demand for seafood products
Socio-economic factors
◦ lack of alternative income/employment opportunities
◦ Overfished stocks
Usually a combination of these
16. • Most economies in the region (in waters
under their jurisdiction)
• On the high seas
• Hot spots
◦ Eastern Pacific
◦ Northwest Pacific
◦ Southeast Asia
◦ Pacific Islands
17. • Vessels from countries in the region
• Often vessels from neighboring countries
• Relatively few instances of vessels from
outside the region
• Vessels flagged in the region are also
involved in IUU fishing in other regions
18. Whole region Southeast Asia WCPFC
Abalone Tunas etc Tunas
Alaska pollock Reef fish Billfish
Crabs Shark Shark
Reef fish Turtles
Salmon
Seas cucumber
Sea urchins
Sharks
Squid
Tunas
19. IUU fishing is a major threat to the region
◦ appears to be largely unchecked and low priority
Losses could be as high as 16% of total catch
and up to US$5 per year
IUU fishing is a major problem and will get
worse if not addressed
20. Main Drivers Main forms Main Species Main Obstacles Responses to IUU Assessed Impact of
of IUU fishing IUU fishing
fishing
Ineffective domestic Domestic Commercial Governance: Major: Economic:
management illegal Tunas etc Political will RPOA High impact
Excess capacity Reef fish Management Bilateral
Overfished Foreign Shark measures initiatives Social
stocks illegal Commitment to High impact
Other international Other:
Ineffective MCS turtles obligations Bali Plan of Environmental
- Ineffective flag Sound legislation Action High impact on
State control of Lack of MCS Joint MCS target stocks
vessels in capacity (human activities High impact on
adjacent EEZs and financial) Increased MCS vulnerable
Litigation failure expenditure ecosystems
Disputed/ Alternative High impact on
undelimited Broader political employment protected
boundaries sensitivity of some programmes species
issues (e.g. Encouragement
Lack of alternative boundaries) of aquaculture
employment
Priority assigned to
fisheries issues
Lack of a shared vision
across adjacent States
for improving fisheries
management and
addressing IUU fishing
21. Main Drivers Main forms of Main Species Main Obstacles Responses to IUU Assessed Impact of
IUU fishing fishing IUU fishing
Ineffective Foreign Main Governance Major Economic:
management of illegal/ Commercial: Political will Development of High
high seas fleets unreported Tunas and financial coordinated impact/loss
Excess etc resources multilateral MCS
capacity High seas billfish Sound strategy and Social
Overfished illegal and shark legislation response High impact
stocks unregulated Lack of MCS
(doughnut capacity Joint MCS activities Environmental:
Ineffective MCS holes and (human and High impact on
Ineffective high seas) financial) Additional target stocks;
flag State Litigation management Low impact
control failure requirements for elsewhere
foreign vessels
Perverse incentives Broader political under access
specific sensitivity of some agreements and
access issues (loss of restrictions on
arrangements revenue from access access to adjacent
development agreements) high seas.
assistance
tied to access Lack of subregional Other
cooperation on IUU Enhanced domestic
fishing management and
MCS arrangements
Lack of
coordination/
communication
across national
agencies
22. • Increase political will and public awareness
• Significantly enhanced domestic fisheries
management arrangements
• Improved MCS arrangements and additional
resources
• Regional MCS initiatives
23. • Improved bilateral and multilateral
engagement
• Stronger port and market state measures
• Programs to foster alternative livelihoods
• Catch documentation schemes for high value
species
24. Have analyzed IUU fishing at a regional and
sub-regional level
Ultimately, the region’s fisheries operate in a
global markets
◦ Access to markets can be affected by national,
regional or international responses to IUU fishing
These responses warrant consideration
25. Those with one or more of these
characteristics
◦ High value product
◦ High value to weight ratio (i.e. easy to
transport/smuggle)
◦ Ease of access (e.g. inshore waters, low level of
capital investment)
◦ Wide distribution of stocks
◦ Low risk of detection (inadequate surveillance)
◦ Inadequate penalties
◦ Strong market demand
26. Can’t change:
The value
Its transportability
Its catchability
Its natural distribution
27. Can change:
The risk of detection
The consequences of detection
Market demand
Access to markets
28. National level
Increased surveillance
Increased enforcement
Adoption of legislation to prevent IUU product entering the country
◦ US law that can prohibit imports from nations that are considered not to
have taken appropriate action to precent their vessels engaging in IUU
fishing
◦ The European Union measures
only marine fisheries products validated as legal by the relevant flag
state or exporting state can be imported to or exported from the EU.
A European black list covering both IUU vessels and States that turn a
blind eye to illegal fishing activities.
Introduction of substantial penalties for EU operators who fish illegally
anywhere in the world
29. US law that can prohibit imports from nations that are
considered not to have taken appropriate action to
prevent their vessels engaging in IUU fishing
The European Union measures
only marine fisheries products validated as legal by the
relevant flag state or exporting state can be imported
to or exported from the EU.
A European black list covering both IUU vessels and
States that turn a blind eye to illegal fishing activities.
Introduction of substantial penalties for EU operators
who fish illegally anywhere in the world
30. Regional Fisheries Bodies
Catch/trade documentation schemes
Vessel lists – black lists and white lists
Trade bans on uncooperative countries
31. Internationally
Binding FAO Agreement on Port State
Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate
Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing
Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES)
32. Industry level
Ecolabels
◦ Provide primarily environmental information to
buyers
◦ may or may not be associated with certification
Certification schemes
◦ assurance that product, process or service
conforms to a standard
◦ Can be first, second, or third party certification
33. Rely on product differentiation in the market
◦ Facilitates consumers exercise choice for legal
and/or sustainable product
◦ May ultimately reduce demand for and price of IUU
product
Impact on IUU fishing depends on
◦ Chain of custody arrangements
◦ Awareness in the market of IUU fishing
◦ Willingness to boycott uncertified product
34. Key component of major initiatives to address
IUU fishing
Hence the focus of this workshop
◦ To identify strategies and models for effective
partnerships on seafood traceability
35. ability to follow the movement of a food through
specified stages of production, processing and
distribution (Codex Alimentarius)
Record keeping system that identifies and tracks
products from origin to consumption, while
providing the ability to quickly trace back products
at any point along the supply chain (Roheim, 2007)
