Fishing in the shadows: the real cost of unlawful activity at sea

Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing is a global issue with far-reaching consequences, endangering marine ecosystems, destabilising fisheries, and putting economies and food security at risk, writes Linda Piegl.

- Linda Piegl.

Fish is one of the most highly traded food commodities in the world, with the industry valued at an estimated US$362 billion (about R6,5 trillion), according to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

As much as half of the world's population depends on fish as a primary protein source, while millions of people, mostly in developing coastal communities, depend on fishing and related activities for their livelihoods.

It is estimated that one in every five fish caught is the result of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. While the full scale of these clandestine activities is difficult to measure, IUU fishing is believed to account for the loss of around 26 million tons of fish annually, with global economic losses of billions of dollars every year.

IUU fishing puts marine ecosystems at serious risk, depleting fish populations through overfishing, pushing vulnerable species closer to extinction, and undermining national and regional efforts to manage fisheries sustainably and protect ocean biodiversity.

“When such fish ends up on our plates, we are unwitting accomplices in unsustainable and often criminal practices that are damaging our future well-being and the sustainability of our planet,” the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations points out.

UNDERSTANDING IUU FISHING

This global issue is widespread, occurring across international waters and territorial waters of individual countries.

Under international law, states are obliged to take responsibility for and have control over vessels flying their flags, regardless of where they are operating. This includes effective administration, such as keeping accurate records of their ships and issuing authorisations for fishing activities.