What is IUU fishing?
The term “IUU fishing” refers to fishing and related activities that operate outside the law and undermine sustainable fisheries.
IUU fishing includes many types of illicit activities, for example, fishing without a licence or authorization, not reporting or misreporting catches, fishing in prohibited areas and catching or selling prohibited species, or fishing in areas not covered by a regulatory framework, IUU fishing takes place whenever fishing vessels do not operate in line with the requirements established by national, regional, and international regulatory schemes and management systems. Read more here.
Closing the net on IUU fishing
6 June 2022, 15:00–16:00 CEST
Register to participate on Zoom | Webcast
On the occasion of the fifth observance of the International Day for the Fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, and in support of the 2022 International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA), FAO is organizing a digital talk on how IUU fishing affects small-scale fishers and their communities, and how small-scale fishers can be stewards of the ocean against IUU fishing.
It is estimated that 1 in every 5 fish caught, comes from IUU fishing. When such fish ends up on our plates, we are unwitting accomplices in unsustainable, and often criminal practices, that are damaging for our future well-being and the sustainability of our planet.
Join us in this digital talk as we bring together different voices: a journalist together with a chef, a scholar, an artisanal fisher, and a technical officer, who explore both sides of the coin and look towards possible solutions for sustainable fishing. Register for the digital talk here.
Why is combatting IUU fishing important?
FAO’s commitment through the years
1982 - United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (available in all languages here).
1993 - FAO Compliance Agreement
1995 - Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries
1995 - United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement
2014 - Global Record of Fishing Vessels, Refrigerated Transport Vessels and Supply Vessels | is a State-certified repository of vessels involved in fishing operations.
2014 - FAO Voluntary Guidelines on Flag State Performance | provides a comprehensive checklist and guidelines for flag States to implement their internationally agreed responsibilities in relation to flagging and controlling their fishing vessels.
2016 - 2009 FAO Agreement on Port State Measures (entry into force)| It prevents illicitly caught fish from entering the value chain through foreign ports.
2017 - FAO Voluntary Guidelines for Catch Documentation Schemes | It provides better and more harmonized traceability of fish along the value chain.
2018 - FAO Voluntary Guidelines on the Marking of Fishing Gear | are international guidelines for the marking of fishing gear, aimed at mitigating the problem of abandoned, lost or discarded gear, as well as combatting IUU fishing.