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The 6th International Forum on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU)

On 13 to 14 January 2011, the 6th International Forum on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing was held at The Royal Institute of International Affairs at Chatham House, in London. One of SIF’s/PAF’s roles was to assist in planning and preparing the Africa session, together with its partners.

A variety of topics were discussed, including:

  • the EU Common Fisheries Policy reform process; it was explained that the aim was to change the incentives for fishers, e.g. by providing clearer entitlements to fish, and Partnership Agreements were noted as a tool to help improve fisheries governance;
  • the EU IUU Regulation process; it was noted that the regulation focuses on flag state responsibilities, and to date, 90 countries have catch certification systems in place;
  • lessons learned from the forestry sector were shared, focusing on experiences in independent compliance monitoring;
  • approaches to dealing with the I, U and U of IUU fishing;
  • the issue of overcapacity;
  • examples of North American activities in relation to combating IUU ‚including on the one hand positive collaboration with flag states whose vessels had been found engaging in IUU fishing but that showed willingness to tackle the issue, and on the other hand prosecution processes in relation to traded IUU products; and
  • the use of market-mechanisms in fisheries ‚from rights-based fisheries management to the role of seafood labels and certification, noting the advantages and challenges of both.

The Africa session contained the presentation of a short documentary ‘Illegal fishing in African waters’ prepared by the Environmental Justice Foundation, and the perspectives of one country’s (Mozambique) and two RFBs’ (Fisheries Commission for the West Central Gulf of Guinea [FCWC], an advisory body, and the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission [IOTC], a management organisation) activities towards combating IUU fishing. The session highlighted the challenges faced by African countries, but also the willingness to act towards change. Mozambique gave a presentation on the Antillas Reefer case ‚a vessel caught fishing illegally in Mozambican waters in 2008, and the processes related to bringing the case to a successful prosecution. The Secretary General of FCWC provided an overview of the challenges of implementing the FAO Port State Measures Agreement in Africa, but also stressed the opportunities involved. Finally, the Executive Secretary of IOTC explained the steps taken by IOTC to reduce the risk of illegal harvesting of tuna, noting for example its record of active vessels (useful in managing capacity and unique among tuna RFMOs) and its record of authorised vessels (a positive list).

Some of the opportunities for SIF/PAF in assisting in the facilitation of this meeting consisted of:

  • General information exchange and updates on activities and success stories around the world in relation to combating IUU fishing.
  • Showcasing positive African examples of combating IUU while also highlighting the challenges, primarily in relation to MCS, flag state responsibilities and port state measures.
  • Engaging with a broad range of partners and potential partners, including NGOs, members of the European Parliament, the UK Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Natural Environment and Fisheries, the European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, FAO and NOAA.

Overall, the meeting provided a unique platform for knowledge exchange, providing different players with new perspectives and ideas.

Photo: Per Erik Bergh