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A world without illegal fishing

Restoring the ocean’s health with innovations

By UNDP Water and Ocean Programme

June 5^th, 2023

Imagine

there are plenty of fish in the sea, in various species and sizes,

Photo: Hannes Klostermann / OceanImageBank

Photo: David P. Robinson / OceanImageBank

more than enough to feed and nourish the growing 8 billion people.

About a billion people around the world rely on fish as their primary source of protein, accounting for 15% of their protein intake. Just in 2020, over 157 million tonnes of fisheries and aquaculture production were used for direct human consumption.

Fish stocks can cater to other non-food purposes such as fish oil, fish meal, pharmaceutical uses, or as raw materials for feeding aquaculture and livestock.

Nearly 60 million people in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors have stable jobs and steady income.

Photo: Fishermen diving, 2013. UNDP Madagascar.

We need to end to illegal fishing.

*RFMO - Regional Fisheries Management Organisations are the international organisations regulating regional fishing activities in the high seas. (EC)| | Photo Source: EU Maritime and Fish (https://twitter.com/EU_MARE/status/668126753341046784?s=20)

A world without illegal fishing is not very far from reach, thanks to ocean innovators.

These UNDP-supported ocean innovators are tackling illegal fishing head-on, protecting ecosystems, securing livelihoods for fishers, and ensuring food security for all. Their work goes beyond stopping illegal practices; it's about fostering a sustainable blue economy that benefits both people and the planet, ultimately helping combat climate change.

Surrey Space Centre, in collaboration with Mauritius Research and Innovation Council, designed, developed and continuously validate a nearly real-time satellite-based application able to detect IUU fishing activities in the Mauritius Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

They are maximizing the use of available data sources such as spaceborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) as well as Ship Reporting Systems (SRSs) such as the Automatic Identification System (AIS) and Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) to improve nearly real time detection of anomalies covering large EEZs and marine protected areas. Working closely with governments and local stakeholders in Mauritius, Surrey Space Centre helps tailor-fit the design of the tool based on their priorities, current practices and main challenges, and are actively exploring ways to expand the scope of the technology to the Western Indian Ocean for greater impact in the fight against IUUF.

“There is a significant gap in the literature on IUU fishing and unsustainable fishing despite its critical role in addressing overfishing. No unique global distant water fishing vessel registry exists, and there is no clear information on the number of distant water fishing vessels or where they operate. Existing IUU fishing estimates are outdated.”

- ODI

ODI is addressing a fundamental data gap related to distant water fishing (DWF) in Ecuador, Ghana, Peru, Philippines and Senegal using technical approach that combines an innovative use of ensemble algorithms, geographic information systems, and data analyses.

ODI is helping inform sustainable fisheries policies in these five countries, which are some of the most vulnerable fisheries in the world, and where the impacts of unsustainable fishing affect people’s income, employment, and food security the hardest. The evidence and analysis of distant water fishing activities will support policymakers and other stakeholders for policy and enforcement reforms.

Fishy Business, published by ODI in February 2024 with the support of the Ocean Innovation Challenge, is the first study to quantify the impact of unsustainable distant-water fishing on the economies, employment, and well-being of Ecuador, Ghana, Peru, the Philippines, and Senegal. By examining fishing fleets and practices within these countries' exclusive economic zones, the study reveals a significant loss of opportunity due to these operations. Combining diverse data sources and cutting-edge analysis tools, the report provides a compelling argument for transparency and reform in the fishing industry.

“Informed decision-making and actions to effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing and IUU fishing can only occur when certain enabling conditions, such as reliable collection and access to accurate and real-time data, are in place.”

- WWF Peru

WWF Peru co-designed a traceability system called TrazApp with supply chain actors including fishers, intermediaries, processing plants and governments to provide accurate and real-time data on fisheries supply chain in Peru, decrease the incidence of IUU fishing, and improve fisheries enforcement capacity.

TrazApp facilitates the collection of essential data for managing and monitoring the fisheries supply chain, particularly focusing on Peru's fully exploited mahi-mahi and underutilized giant squid. The data gathered is directly accessible for the government, bolstering their ability to track catch volumes at landings. Recognizing TrazApp's immense potential to monitor and mitigate bycatch, combat illegal fishing, and regulate fisheries activities, the Peruvian government has adopted it for accepting permit applications from fishing vessels. WWF-Peru is also actively supporting artisanal fishers in obtaining legal identification, enabling them to utilize TrazApp and integrate into the formal fishing sector.

Sustainable Fisheries Partnership is using advanced digital technology for global fishery identifiers to improve catch reporting, helping managers identify where IUU fishing is happening and the scale of the problem. In small-scale fisheries, where lack of fisher registration is an impediment to effective management, this will help both managers and fishers.

Unique fishery identification codes will help in global efforts to identify and highlight instances of IUU fishing, shining a spotlight on the illegal practices that have been hiding behind poor documentation and identification in fisheries, and strengthening their resilience to market and fishery shocks, such as the ones caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and unsustainable fishing.

Fishing communities, actors in the supply chain and governments have a critical role in promoting the transparency and traceability of fish stocks and benefits from improved registration, catch documentation and elimination of IUU fishing practices in their fishery. Real-time fisheries information and technologies allow local stakeholders to effectively manage and monitor fishing activities and transactions throughout the supply chain. Giving stakeholders direct access to these innovative tools provides them with a sense of ownership as well as pride to fight IUUF and demonstrate to buyers an improved fishery.

Sooner than later, with novel ocean innovations and concerted efforts to stop harmful fishing practices, we can become a world without illegal fishing.

To know more about the work and progress of UNDP's second cohort of ocean innovators on sustainable fisheries and aquaculture: https://oceaninnovationchallenge.org/oceaninnovators-cohort2

“Sustainable fisheries should be the ultimate aim of all fishery stakeholders. Ensuring continued supply through healthy stocks and ecosystems guarantees income and livelihoods for fishers and other participants.

- Sustainable Fisheries Partnership

Footnotes

Narrated by Khristine Gudczinski and Almary Joyce Paigao with contributions from Surrey Space Center (Raffaella Guida); ODI (Miren Gutierrez); WWF Peru (Aimee Leslie. Jose Alvarez, Evelyn Victoria); and Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (Susana Segurado, Braddock Spear, Kris Marchu)

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FootNotes