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Fighting illegal fishing
It is estimated that over 35% of the world’s fisheries are overfished while nearly 60% are fished to their maximum capacity. Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is a leading cause of this state of overfishing in our ocean. Through international commitments such as Sustainable Development Goal 14, political momentum to address the health and sustainable use of our ocean has been building. However, tangible actions to address the long-lasting and even permanent damages from IUU fishing remain inadequate.
The European Union is the largest seafood market in the world, importing around 70% of its seafood. Due to its very nature, IUU fishing is invisible to regulations and policies in place to protect marine life from harmful fishing methods and from overfishing. This also means that IUU fishing is poorly accounted for when governments evaluate the fishing industry’s impact on the ocean and when planning the allowable quantity of fish to be caught in future years.
IUU fishing practices have dire consequences for multiple stakeholders in achieving sustainable fisheries and a sustainable blue economy, including coastal communities in less developed countries outside the EU that rely on the ocean for their livelihoods, as well as for large- and small-scale fishers that abide by the rules but lose out when there are no fish left. The biggest impact the EU can have to eliminate IUU fishing is to fully implement its zero tolerance approach and prevent the import and sale of illegal seafood products in its market.
The WWF EPO works to maximise the impact of the EU’s IUU Regulation, which aims to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing. To date, the Regulation has instigated some key improvements in the global fight against IUU fishing, but significant gaps remain to successfully implement the requirements that block the import and sale of illegally-sourced seafood products in the European market. The EPO aims to ensure that Member States are applying effective controls on the seafood they import to guarantee their legality, thereby demanding fully traceable and transparent seafood supply chains for fresh, frozen and processed products, regardless of their origin.
The EPO also holds the European Commission accountable to its position as an international leader to set the example for sustainable fishing practices worldwide. We provide evidence-based recommendations and strategic vision to help the EU achieve this position, and build relationships with external stakeholders to leverage the EU’s influence to improve international fisheries governance.
As part of the EU IUU Fishing Coalition, WWF EPO broadens its work to combat illegal fishing and improve transparency in the fisheries sector by ensuring the effective and harmonised implementation of the EU IUU Regulation and by encouraging the EU to effectively support global policy changes via its influence as a major flag and market State. It also promotes increased and effective collaboration between the EU and other major seafood market States, regional fisheries bodies and national authorities.
Why it matters
The European Union is the largest seafood market in the world, importing around 70% of its seafood. Due to its very nature, IUU fishing is invisible to regulations and policies in place to protect marine life from harmful fishing methods and from overfishing. This also means that IUU fishing is poorly accounted for when governments evaluate the fishing industry’s impact on the ocean and when planning the allowable quantity of fish to be caught in future years.
IUU fishing practices have dire consequences for multiple stakeholders in achieving sustainable fisheries and a sustainable blue economy, including coastal communities in less developed countries outside the EU that rely on the ocean for their livelihoods, as well as for large- and small-scale fishers that abide by the rules but lose out when there are no fish left. The biggest impact the EU can have to eliminate IUU fishing is to fully implement its zero tolerance approach and prevent the import and sale of illegal seafood products in its market.
What WWF is doing
The WWF EPO works to maximise the impact of the EU’s IUU Regulation, which aims to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing. To date, the Regulation has instigated some key improvements in the global fight against IUU fishing, but significant gaps remain to successfully implement the requirements that block the import and sale of illegally-sourced seafood products in the European market. The EPO aims to ensure that Member States are applying effective controls on the seafood they import to guarantee their legality, thereby demanding fully traceable and transparent seafood supply chains for fresh, frozen and processed products, regardless of their origin.
The EPO also holds the European Commission accountable to its position as an international leader to set the example for sustainable fishing practices worldwide. We provide evidence-based recommendations and strategic vision to help the EU achieve this position, and build relationships with external stakeholders to leverage the EU’s influence to improve international fisheries governance.
As part of the EU IUU Fishing Coalition, WWF EPO broadens its work to combat illegal fishing and improve transparency in the fisheries sector by ensuring the effective and harmonised implementation of the EU IUU Regulation and by encouraging the EU to effectively support global policy changes via its influence as a major flag and market State. It also promotes increased and effective collaboration between the EU and other major seafood market States, regional fisheries bodies and national authorities.
Reports
The missing millions from shrimp and tuna fisheries in the South West Indian Ocean (May 2023)
pdf 5.76 MBAnalysis of the EU fishing fleet’s implementation of the SMEFF Regulation: Reflagging behaviours (May 2022)
pdf 1.35 MBDriving improvements in fisheries governance globally: Impact of the EU IUU carding scheme on Belize, Guinea, Solomon Islands and Thailand (March 2022)
pdf 2.95 MBSeafood Traceability: Aligning RFMO catch documentation schemes to combat IUU fishing (December 2021)
pdf 2.46 MBSocio-economic impacts of the EU Common Fisheries Policy (July 2021)
pdf 24.13 MBUnregulated fishing on the high seas of the Indian Ocean (November 2020)
pdf 9.84 MBSeafood Sustainability, Stability & Security (June 2020)
pdf 18.19 MBUpdated comparative analysis for report ‘Achieving transparency and combating IUU fishing in RFMOs’ (May 2020)
pdf 239 KBKey data elements in import control schemes aimed at tackling IUU fishing in the top three seafood markets (January 2020)
pdf 2.76 MBThe status and future of sustainable fisheries partnership agreements in the South West Indian Ocean (November 2019)
pdf 14.18 MBAchieving transparency and combating IUU fishing in RFMOs (June 2019)
pdf 1.90 MBThe impact of the EU IUU Regulation on seafood trade flows (February 2018)
pdf 13.93 MBAnalysis of the EU IUU Regulation: Implementation of EU seafood import controls (March 2017)
pdf 1.75 MBContacts
Dr Antonia Leroy
Heaf of Ocean Policy
@AntoniaLeroy
Louis Lambrechts
Ocean Policy Officer
@Louis_Lbts
POLICY BRIEFS & POSITION PAPERS
Seafood traceability: exemptions risk fuelling illegal fishing (January 2021)
pdf 10.77 MBJoint NGO policy brief: Advancing the Farm to Fork Strategy (September 2020)
pdf 1.30 MBJoint NGO policy brief: Advancing the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 (September 2020)
pdf 1.37 MBJoint NGO Recommendations: 10 priorities for the future of Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements (May 2020)
pdf 2.18 MBJoint NGO position paper: Revision of the EU Fisheries Control System (November 2019)
pdf 902 KBWWF Recommendations: Minimum measures to effectively combat IUU fishing in developing countries (October 2019)
pdf 13.64 MBJoint NGO position paper: The need for mandatory IMO numbers for vessels catching seafood for the EU market (May 2017)
pdf 1.60 MBJoint NGO case studies: Highlighting the need to improve performance in the fight against IUU fishing (January 2017)
pdf 1.26 MBJoint NGO position paper: Risk assessment and verification of catch certificates under the EU IUU Regulation (December 2016)
pdf 361 KB