Library

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.

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.

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).

The Voluntary Guidelines for Transshipment address the regulation, monitoring and control of transshipment of fish, which have not been previously landed, whether processed or not. They are elaborated to complement and support existing and new efforts and policies recognizing that all available means in accordance with international law and other international instruments, should be used to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and fishing related activities in support of IUU fishing.

The assessment of the implementation of, and compliance with, agreed obligations is a key component of the internationally accepted fisheries governance regime. To fulfill the objectives of the tuna RFMOs, participants must implement and comply with a range of RFMO obligations. All the tuna RFMOs have recognized a need for a structured process to assess the implementation of, and compliance with, obligations and have adopted compliance assessment processes. Compliance assessment processes provide a framework to assess implementation and compliance in a structured and consistent way and may identify trends in compliance over time. Compliance assessment processes seek to improve the performance of an RFMO and to support participants to better meet their obligations.

This document contains the report of the Fifth Global Fisheries Enforcement Training Workshop (GFETW), which was convened in Auckland, New Zealand from 7–11 March 2016. The Workshop was organized by the International Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) Network and the Ministry for Primary Industries of New Zealand, with the collaboration of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The Fifth GFETW was sponsored by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA), Fisheries and Oceans Canada, FAO, the Directorate of Fisheries of Norway, Marine Scotland, the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF).

A JAC fisheries intelligence report that examines the activities and AIS reporting patterns of the squid vessel LU RONG YUAN YU 715. The vessel had been transmitting simultaneously on the same two MMSIs, and analysis of photographs taken in 2022, confirmed that the vessel had been displaying and reporting a different name when in the Atlantic squid grounds (FU YUAN YU 715).

A JAC fisheries intelligence report that examines the activities and identities of vessel/s that have transmitted on AIS using an unofficial MMSI that is not associated with any flag State (MMSI 150402949). This includes strong indications that during 2020, MMSI 150402949 was transmitting from a vessel using the name LU RONG YUAN YU 197 that was IUU listed by NPFC in 2021.

A training tool on industrial fishing vessel inspections to assist in building knowledge in personnel who may play an operational role in fisheries monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS), as well as for use by broader interested stakeholders.

This document contains the report of the Sixth Global Fisheries Enforcement Training Workshop (GFETW), which was convened in Bangkok, Thailand from 18 to 22 February 2019. The Workshop was organised by the IMCS Network and the Department of Fisheries, Thailand. The 6th GFETW was sponsored by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the Directorate of Fisheries of Norway, the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and The Pew Charitable Trusts.

The theme of the 2019 GFETW was Closing the Net: Global cooperation between flag, coastal, port and market States for effective enforcement of international and domestic law.

This report contains the proceedings of the IMCS Network's first ever virtual GFETW, which took place online on 13–14 July 2021. The overall theme of the virtual GFETW was “Illuminating the unknowns – Global cooperation to eliminate the “U’s” from Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing”. The GFETW focused on an interactive format highlighting three interactive panel discussions on emerging MCS areas of interest or challenges. The event also included MCS papers, presentations, and short videos relevant to one of the following four GFETW themes: cooperation and partnerships, risk assessment and analysis, technology as an enabler, and transparency.

The TCN convened its 3rd Workshop in Bangkok, Thailand, from 22 to 24 February 2019. The Workshop focused on procedures to assess compliance in tuna RFMOs and gathered, among others, the officers responsible for compliance of the five tuna RFMOs and all Chairs of the Compliance Committees of these RFMOs.

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.

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 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 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.

Following the FAO's in-depth study "Transshipment: A closer look," this report captures contributions from the ground that aim to provide voluntary guidelines for the regulation, monitoring, and control of transshipment that are in fact robust, future-proof, and operationally achievable. The study recommends looking at seven key areas that would enable relevant authorities to minimize the risk of IUU-caught seafood entering the market and to ensure compliance with national and regional legal frameworks.

Recognizing that an RFMOs' performance can be compromised due to not complying with conservation and management measures, the Pew Charitable Trusts, in collaboration with the International Seafood
Sustainability Foundation held a virtual workshop in 2020. Convening nearly 30 experts associated with RFMOs, the workshop identified important drivers of compliance, with the challenges involved in each and potential solutions.

Following their first virtual workshop in 2020, the Pew Charitable Trusts, in collaboration with the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation, held a virtual workshop in 2021. This workshop specifically covered the issue of transparency in RFMOs, an issue that experts identified in the last workshop as a driver toward improving RFMOs' compliance and assessment processes. Transparency is multifaceted, with experts recognizing that transparency can look different based on the situation (external vs. internal component), the parties involved, the sensitivity of data, and many other factors. But ultimately, the workshop identified the importance of transparency in RFMOs and gave detailed solutions for how to reach said goal.

The Tuna Compliance Network (TCN) was established to facilitate communication and cooperation between officers responsible for compliance and experts in Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance. Implementing Conservation and Management Measures, specifically for highly migratory species like Tuna, can be challenging for RFMOs; however, as an informal network, TCN provides a unique opportunity for the exchange of information to take place between tuna RFMOs.