Illegal fishing and enforcement

This Guide has been produced to provide practical, science-based advice on how to maximize the effectiveness of both new and existing shark and ray MPAs, to ensure these animals are protected now and far into the future.

The Tun Mustapha Marine Park (TMP) is home to mangrove forests, sea grass beds and coral reefs all of which serve as a critical breeding ground for resident marine species, as well as migratory species such as whale sharks. In this report, we analyze the legal framework, competencies and jurisdictions of all marine enforcement agencies in order to design an enforcement system for the TMP project that is practical, affordable and feasible to implement over a four-year timeframe.

The main objective of this assessment is to design a cost effective control and vigilance system for the Gardens of the Queen marine protected area (MPA).

In this report, we analyze the legal framework, competencies and jurisdictions of all marine enforcement agencies in order to design a cost effective national surveillance system for Ecuador’s MPAs.

The Barbuda Blue Halo Initiative (BBHI) aims to develop sustainable ocean policy and local management capacity for the enforcement of fishery regulations within the Codrington Lagoon National Park (CLNP) and throughout Barbuda’s near shore jurisdictional waters (3NM). The BBHI represents a collaborative effort among the Barbuda Council, the Government of Antigua & Barbuda, and the Waitt Institute.

WildAid in cooperation with The Nature Conservancy developed this guide to assist managers in designing a cost effective enforcement strategy for near shore artisanal fisheries. This document is not a recompilation of literature, but a practical guide based on our experience in the Eastern and Western Pacific.

Through years of engagement with seafood businesses and technology companies, Future of Fish has developed five core business functions of traceability technology. All five must be in place in order to address seafood’s social and environmental ills effectively. Not only must robust end-to-end traceability track products on a batch-level basis, but it also must provide a level of corporate transparency at each step in the chain. Here are the five core functions:

Why story matters to the ocean.

Learn the key facts about illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

As part of its overall effort to bring greater transparency and traceability to seafood supply chains, Future of Fish set out to explore the power of story to sell more fish and to determine what elements of that story most influence consumer purchasing behavior. This study is part of a series of investigations to identify the business benefits of data-rich supply chains and ignite market incentives for more responsibly harvested and traded seafood.

This guide, available in both English and Kiswahili, has been designed to provide guidance to community members and resource users who wish to manage their own natural resources by developing a strategy for local management of their coastal area and marine resources. It is meant not as a comprehensive, step-by-step guide, but rather as an introduction to the important ideas and processes involved in establishing local management. The guide provides some links where those interested can find out further information or can request support and practical assistance.

This desk study provides a summary of the Bangladesh experience in small-scale fisheries and marine tenure.

This report sets out the historic and existing governance arrangements for artisanal fishing in the Sherbro River Estuary (hereafter the Estuary’), where fishing is vital to the livelihoods and food security of local communities. It uses research from 17 community visits and interviews of key stakeholders to analyse current and historic conditions at the levels of local communities, traditional authorities, local government and central government.

Transparency in the fishing industry is the best weapon we have have against the twin tragedies of illegal fishing and human rights abuse in the sector. EJF has collated ten simple principles for states to follow.

This publication brings to the frontline, issues that beg for attention in the fisheries sector.

Chapter one of this publication, titled COVID-19 and Fisheries, highlights how the pandemic has affected the fisheries subsector.

Chapter two, titled Dead Fish is not Manna, captures the peculiarities and challenges of fisheries in Nigeria noting the contaminated state of some of the fishes sold in the country's markets.

A policy paper addressing the numerous threats to fisheries in the Gulf of Guinea.

This document, Legislating for Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries – A guide and considerations for implementing aspects of the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication in National Legislation, is a tool for States to strengthen their fisheries legislation in order to establish conditions for inclusive and sustainable small-scale fisheries development, taking into account the interrelatedness of social, economic and environmental sustainability, while focusing on marginalized groups.

Co-developed by Ocean Outcomes, World Wildlife Fund US, and the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, the Environmental Rapid Assessment (ERA) tool is based on Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)'s performance indicators (PIs) and draws concepts/definitions from both the MSC and Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch (MBA SFW) standards. The ERA is designed to present key information about a fishery and identify major deficiencies in ecological sustainability, for general scoping or to facilitate movement of a fishery into a Fishery Improvement Project (FIP).

"This Toolkit presents a methodology for assessing the reform needs to strengthen SSF governance, along with examples of model regulatory language for the core governance elements."