Fisheries professionals debate FAO’s IUU fishing estimation guidelines
Technical guidelines published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to assist users in choosing methodologies and indicators to estimate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing were the focus of a think tank discussion held with FAO professionals on 15 March.
The guidelines, Methodologies and indicators for the estimation of the magnitude and impact of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, are a product of the Global and Regional Processes Team (NFIFP) within the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Division (NFI). Three volumes were published in 2023, with a fourth volume complete and scheduled for publication in 2024.
The think tank discussion was led by the guidelines’ principal consultant and author, Shelley Clarke and NFIFP Team Leader, Matthew Camilleri.
Dr Clarke explained the rationale behind the three volumes published to date, and how these can assist users, mainly national authorities, in selecting an appropriate methodology to estimate IUU activities in their fisheries. To be meaningful, estimates should be explicit about which fisheries, sectors, species, areas, timeframes, and types of activities are included.
She noted that while the first volume highlights estimation principles and approaches, and the second volume outlines how to manage an estimation project, the third volume provides detailed guidance on how to actually do an estimate of IUU fishing. This is accomplished by assisting the user in choosing the most appropriate ‘recipes’ from a selection of 26 ‘recipe cards’ based on actual studies representing a variety of fisheries, locations, objectives and methodologies. The fourth volume, scheduled for release in mid-2024, offers an alternative to directly estimating the amount or value of IUU fishing, demonstrating how to use indicators in combination with national monitoring, control and surveillance datasets to develop and track metrics that provide insights and trigger further analysis, but do not necessarily result in a conclusion about the level of IUU fishing.
Dr Camilleri explained that the four volumes are tools that help fisheries practitioners in an operational manner in the field, to “measure correctly”. He explained that the guidelines are the result of a long process, started in 2015 with a meeting of multi-disciplinary experts, that analysed the estimation work available at the time. A further study of available studies was later carried out, and this has been incorporated in Volume 3. FAO now plans to roll out the guidelines in select countries and regions using realistic IUU fishing scenarios. In addition, FAO will also provide training courses and in-country capacity development to encourage uptake of the guidelines in an operational context.
The volumes published to date can be downloaded here: