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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.

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 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.

This report highlights three facets of transshipment as sea where improvements can be made to increase transparency, they include, management best practices, data reporting best practices, and monitoring best practices. The policies include 100 percent observer coverage either human or electronic for all at-sea transshipment events, require information on all at-sea transshipment events to be shared with the relevant RFMO, prohibit vessels from acting as both a fishing vessel and carrier vessel on the same trip and a multitude of other policies that fisheries can work towards implementing.

This paper discusses the problem of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing on the high seas and acknowledges increasing restrictions put into place to attempt to deal with the problem. The paper reports on recent trends in the numbers of fishing vessels flying Flags of Convenience, discusses at-sea transshipment and resupply fleets (a key aspect of IUU fishing), recommends specific measures to manage at-sea transshipment and resupply and; place these recommendations within the context of international actions necessary to implement the UN FAO International Plan of Action on IUU Fishing.

This report reviews the transshipment measures of the five tuna RFMOs plus SEAFO and CCAMLR. Although each tuna RFMO generally prohibits at-sea transshipment except for large-scale longline fishing vessels with 100% observer coverage on the carrier vessels, their relationship, the report finds, with other MCS measures leaves multiple gaps and shortfalls. Through the analysis of non-tuna RFMO transshipment measures in critical comparison to the many shortfalls found with existing measures in tuna RFMOs, the report gives detailed recommendations to improve and strengthen tuna RFMO transshipment regulations.

This report reviews the transshipment measures of the five tuna RFMOs plus SEAFO and CCAMLR. Although each tuna RFMO generally prohibits at-sea transshipment except for large-scale longline fishing vessels with 100% observer coverage on the carrier vessels, the report discusses the relationship with other MCS measures leaves multiple gaps and shortfalls. Through the analysis of non-tuna RFMO transshipment measures in critical comparison, the report gives detailed recommendations to improve and strengthen tuna RFMO transshipment regulations.