Illegal fishing and lack of enforcement can impact the well-being and security of small-scale fishers and the resources they depend on. Learn more about illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUU), banned fishing practices, and fraudulent seafood.

Resources

Legislating for sustainable small-scale fisheries

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.
Science, knowledge & information gathering
Traditional and local ecological knowledge
Monitoring and reporting
Fisheries policy, governance & management
Co-management
Fisheries management
Tenure rights
Illegal fishing and enforcement
Human rights & gender equality
Gender in fisheries
Other resources & approaches
Participatory processes and stakeholder engagement

Environmental Rapid Assessment Report

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).
Science, knowledge & information gathering
Science and assessments
Monitoring and reporting
Fisheries policy, governance & management
Fisheries management
Illegal fishing and enforcement

Law and Governance Toolkit for Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries: Best Regulatory Practices

"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."
Fisheries policy, governance & management
Co-management
Fisheries management
Tenure rights
Illegal fishing and enforcement
Social development & employment
Fisher and fishworker organizations
Other resources & approaches
Capacity development
Participatory processes and stakeholder engagement

FAO Podcast TZH 46 - How do you tackle illegal fishing?

Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is worth an estimated US$23 billion annually, but it’s wreaking havoc on marine resources and the environment. The Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA), introduced in 2016, aims to tackle this global problem. It's the first binding international agreement that specifically targets illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. To date, 87 States are party to the treaty, with more to follow. To explain how the treaty works, we hear from Manuel Barange, director of Fisheries and Aquaculture, and Matthew Camilleri, senior fisheries officer at FAO.
Fisheries policy, governance & management
Fisheries management
Illegal fishing and enforcement
Value chains & post harvest
Traceability
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