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This report presents the first study to use automatic identification system (AIS) data to examine the risks of unregulated fishing to ocean health. It also addresses the challenges faced by decision makers and regional management bodies to tackle unregulated fishing on the high seas of the Indian Ocean within the context of a failure to date to sustainably manage this global commons. The study discusses two institutional features that contribute to unregulated fishing on the high seas of the Indian Ocean: the gaps in spatial areas of competence and the gaps between the groups of species covered by regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs).

This article examines four major maritime law enforcement response areas: Drug trafficking, piracy, migration, and illegal fishing. It examines specific questions related to fisheries law enforcement including the detention of IUU fishers, use of force and under what circumstances may a vessel be destroyed. It finds that courts are increasingly addressing issues once considered within the sole discretion of government officials and operational commanders with the result being an ad hoc collection of judicial opinions, treaties, and multilateral agreements that lack coherence and consistency.

A training tool intended for personnel working fisheries monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS), compliance and enforcement as well as for use by broader interested stakeholders. This guide introduces trawl vessel operation, distinguishing features, gear and related equipment, positional tracking (AIS and VMS) and tips for trawl vessel inspections.

An introductory guide to longline fishing vessels to support MCS officers undertaking longline vessel inspections. While this is a standalone tool focussed on longline fishing, it has been developed as part of series of similar introductory guides on other major industrial fishing methods and related operations, as well as complementary material on fishing vessel inspection considerations. This guide includes how to recognize longline vessels, how they operate and operational MCS considerations.

An introductory guide to pole and line fishing vessels to support MCS officers undertaking pole and line vessel inspections. While this is a standalone tool focussed on pole and line fishing, it has been developed as part of series of similar introductory guides on other major industrial fishing methods and related operations, as well as complementary material on fishing vessel inspection considerations. This guide includes how to recognize pole and line vessels, how they operate and operational MCS considerations.

An introductory guide to purse seine fishing vessels to support MCS officers undertaking purse seine vessel inspections. While this is a standalone tool focussed on purse seine fishing, it has been developed as part of series of similar introductory guides on other major industrial fishing methods and related operations, as well as complementary material on fishing vessel inspection considerations. This guide includes how to recognize purse seine vessels, how they operate and operational MCS considerations.

An introductory guide to (also known as 'reefers' or 'carriers') vessels to support MCS officers undertaking carrier vessel inspections. While this is a standalone tool focussed on carrier vessels, it has been developed as part of series of similar introductory guides on other major industrial fishing methods and related operations, as well as complementary material on fishing vessel inspection considerations. This guide includes how to recognize carrier vessels, how they operate and operational MCS considerations and the crucial role carrier vessel play in transshipment.

In an extensive one-year research on Thailand's overseas fishing fleets, Greenpeace finds that many of Thailand's distant water fishing fleets participate in illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing. Despite the Thai government passing regulation in 2015 to control distant fishing fleets, Greenpeace uncovers multiple enduring human rights violations. Many of Thailand's companies, aided by large refrigerated vessels known as "reefers", are once again sailing at sea, continuing practices that lead to trafficking, fatalities, disease, and countless other human rights violations.

This study builds upon the March 2014 WWF Emerging Technologies Workshop which held a goal to
help FFA Member countries better understand the existing MCS environment and objectively review and
assess available emerging technologies that might help to contribute to less expensive, more effective and
more efficient MCS efforts at both a national and regional level. This study attempts to take a systematic
approach towards estimating the strengths, weaknesses and financial costs of a range of emerging and
evolving technologies that could assist in addressing the challenges of fisheries MCS in the Western and
Central Pacific Ocean region.

In an effort to tackle illegal fishing the Indonesia government introduced a series of regulations and policy changes that affect the fishing activities of domestic and foreign fishers. This study identified key behaviours by vessel operators that indicate violations of these regulations in particular relating to transshipment of purse seine and longline vessels. The study further highlights potentially unintended consequences as fishers respond to the new policies feeling their livelihoods may be under threat.

This paper summarises publicly available transshipment data to address the increasing number of high transshipment events occurring in the IOTC’s convention area. The report highlights the 94% increase in high seas transshipment between 2014 and 2018 the insufficient monitoring of transshipment activities and the current issues with and loopholes in Resolution 18-06 which reduce the effectiveness of the monitoring of transshipment activities.

The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) has seen staggering growth in transshipment activity within its Convention Area. Using publicly available information on transshipment
operations within the WCPF Convention Area, this report highlights the issues of inconsistent data from Observers, insufficient data sharing among the tRFMOs and recognises the need for additional management rules and data verification in order to maximise transparency and minimise the potential for IUU fish to be laundered into the market.

The PEW Charitable Trusts discusses best practice ways to monitor transshipment in an effort to identify and mitigate IUU fishing. This information sheet recommends and outlines best practices actions relating to reporting and monitoring transshipment events and the sharing of transshipment data among relevant parties.

The 1995 FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (the Code) provides a set of international standards for responsible behaviour in the fisheries sector with to ensure the effective conservation, management and development of living aquatic resources, with due respect for the ecosystem and biodiversity. The Code is non-binding document and provides the framework for the development of other voluntary instruments including guidelines and international plans of action.

This report discusses the rapid expansion of squid fishing in the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) Convention Area. The vessels appear to operate exclusively in the high seas, avoiding exclusive economic zones (EEZs) and therefore falling within an area beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ).
The area of operation, although physically within the area covered by the regional fisheries management organisation (RFMO), the IOTC, does not fall within its area of competence as only tuna and tuna like species are included within the IOTC mandate. The squid fishery presented in this report, based on analysis of data from January 2015 to April 2017 is therefore unregulated.
Squid are important prey for 12 predatory species including significant species such as bigeye tuna and swordfish. A clear understanding of sustainable yields is needed and management frameworks are required to sustainably manage this fishery.

Stop Illegal Fishing's (SIF) mission is to combat IUU fishing, particularly in coastal African countries. To complete this goal, SIF has partnered with multiple stakeholders to support the implementation of the Port State Measure Agreement. SIF recognises the value of cooperation and describes their year of working at the national, regional and international level to stop illegal fishing and to strengthen the African voice in an effort to achieve a sustainable blue economy.

This report considers obstacles to, and opportunities for, more effective action to address IUU fishing and the role the role that transnational organised crime plays in the IUU fishing industry. This report examines the experiences in five countries: Indonesia; Thailand; Vietnam; Tanzania; and South Africa and examines the approaches taken by those states and the successes and failures of their policies.

This report recommends the need for action in North Sumatra to tackle the continued and sometimes deadly conflicts between traditional fishing communities and trawlers. The authors explain the large increase in the number of trawlers in the 1970s and 1980s entering the 3-mile zone reserved for traditional fishing activities. These incursions by trawlers into the traditional fishing zone and the lack of government action is resulting in contact with tragic consequences.

Mexico has access to an extensive coastline that has served the country by becoming a primary source of food and job creation. The increase in fisheries has also come at the cost of increasing corruption and a limited capacity for monitoring and enforcement resulting in significant IUU catch. Unreported and illegal fishing accounts for a high percentage of reported catch; this study aims to estimate unreported fisheries catches in Mexico from 1950 to 2010 through catch reconstructions. Results show that from 1950 to 2010, total fisheries catch was almost twice as high as the official statistics reported to the FAO. Knowing these figures, Mexico can move towards better managing their fish stock–specifically when it comes to bycatch and discards.

The IUU fishing index was created to provide a benchmark for 152 coastal countries on their exposure and response to IUU fishing. With this benchmark, various parties (governments, RFMOs, donors) can recognize where intervention is needed. With the scores of each country divided by responsibility (coastal, flag, port, general) and type of action to combat IUU fishing (vulnerability, prevalence, response), the paper calculated a score for every coastal country. With this index as a benchmark, bodies around the world can begin to recognize where help is needed to combat IUU fishing and provide personalized responses, with well-performing countries serving as a point of comparison.