New report warns global gaps in seafood import controls let illegal fishing through

Posted on April, 28 2025

A new report from the EU IUU Fishing Coalition reveals that illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing continues to threaten the ocean, coastal communities and global seafood standards. While catch documentation schemes (CDS) are becoming vital tools to stop illegal seafood at the border, a lack of harmonisation between countries is leaving dangerous loopholes.

Why import controls matter

CDS track seafood from bait to border, helping authorities detect high-risk imports such as overexploited species and illegally caught fish. Our latest analysis compares the EU, US, Japan and South Korea, four markets that together account for over 60% of global seafood imports.

Who’s ahead and who’s lagging behind

We assessed each country’s CDS against 17 key data elements (KDEs) needed to verify legality.

South Korea is the first to meet all 17 KDEs, but only for three species.
Japan and the US lag behind, requiring only 12 KDEs and missing key information such as vessel identifiers and transshipment data.
The EU will require 16 KDEs by 2026 through its digital CATCH IT system, as part of the revised Control and IUU Regulations. This underscores how digital tools can strengthen traceability and enforcement – two core objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). When properly implemented, the CFP delivers tangible results. Ambitious targets become achievable when we prioritise practical, on-the-ground solutions, with digitalisation playing a key enabling role.

As more countries roll out digital catch documentation schemes, diverging standards are creating a fragmented system. Without harmonisation, these tools become harder to use, easier to exploit, and less effective at keeping illegal products out.

What needs to happen

To prevent the flow of illegal products into global markets, the EU IUU Fishing Coalition is calling for:

The full adoption of the 17 KDEs across all market States.
Digital systems to speed up verification, information exchange and cut fraud and costs.
Expansion of species coverage, moving beyond high-risk species to all wild-caught marine species.
Robust risk assessments to focus scrutiny on the most suspicious consignments.
Cross-border data sharing to track products and actors across supply chains.

Countries must also work together through Regional Fisheries Management Organisations to develop binding, interoperable documentation systems. Acting now can help build strong, consistent controls that close the door on illegal seafood for good.

Read the report

A new report from the EU IUU Fishing Coalition reveals that illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing continues to threaten the ocean, coastal communities and global seafood standards.