Fighting IUU fishing

Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing remains one of the greatest threats to marine ecosystems, as it undermines national and regional efforts to manage fisheries sustainably as well as endeavouring to conserve marine biodiversity.

Fisheries resources available to bona fide fishers are removed by IUU fishing, which can lead to the collapse of local fisheries, with small-scale fisheries in developing countries proving particularly vulnerable.

On the occasion of the International Day for the Fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing, have a look at FAO’s resources showcasing the Organization’s work to counter IUU fishing.

For additional resources, have a look at the publications catalogue. 

Voluntary Guidelines for Transshipment
These guidelines are intended to complement and support efforts and policies to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing and related activities. They provide assistance to countries and organizations for developing new transshipment regulations, revising existing regulations, and integrating these within the broader regulatory framework.

Agreement to promote compliance with international conservation and management measures by fishing vessels on the high seas
The Compliance Agreement, available in the six official FAO languages, aims to enhance the role of flag states and ensure that states strengthen their control over their vessels to abide by international conservation and management measures.

Implementation of the International Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing

1. Methodologies and indicators for the estimation of the magnitude and impact of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing: 1.1 Principles and approaches
This first volume in a series of guidance documents on this topic outlines guiding principles and approaches applicable to a broad range of IUU fishing estimation scenarios.

1. Methodologies and indicators for the estimation of the magnitude and impact of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing: 1.2 A practical guide to delivering an estimate
Applying the principles and approaches from Volume 1 of this series, this guide details the steps necessary to plan, execute and present IUU estimates. For the initial planning phase, it provides information on how to work with stakeholders to define objectives, examine and catalogue available data, and then match the objectives with the available data to determine the most useful estimation methods.

1. Methodologies and indicators for the estimation of the magnitude and impact of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing: 1.3 A catalogue of examples
This document complements previous technical guidance documents on planning and executing IUU fishing estimation studies by providing a catalogue of 26 estimation methodologies from published studies.

1.Methodologies and indicators for the estimation of the magnitude and impact of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing: 1.4 Developing and using indicators of performance
This document develops a universal framework based on detection, coverage and investment indicators for IUU fishing. It then presents four hypothetical case studies, e.g. Case study 1 – “Distant water high seas squid fishery”, illustrating how these indicators can be applied to diverse fisheries with different IUU fishing risks.

Compendium of decisions made by the Parties to the FAO Agreement on Port State Measures
This is a compilation of currently applicable decisions made by the Parties in support of the Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (PSMA) institutional framework and its operational implementation. It is a reference document for government and national officials responsible for the application of such measures and other mechanisms against IUU fishing.

Prospectus – FAO fisheries training programme in support of the implementation of international instruments
This prospectus outlines the modules offered under the FAO fisheries training framework, including a detailed description of each module, its corresponding lectures and expected learning outcomes. The framework was developed to help implement an FAO programme aimed at contributing to national, regional and global efforts to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing.

Further reading 

• The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2024
• Understanding and implementing catch documentation schemes − a guide for national authorities
• Combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing
• Joining forces to shape the fishery sector of tomorrow: Promoting safety and decent work in fisheries through the application of international standards
• Implementation of the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries
• Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing. Revised Edition
• Implementation of Port State Measures
• The Global Record of Fishing Vessels, Refrigerated Transport Vessels and Supply Vessels
• The Global Record of fishing vessels, refrigerated transport vessels and supply vessels. How to participate
• Report of the Fourth Meeting of the Parties to the Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing

Additional resources

• FAO and Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing website
• PSMA website

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