You’ve probably eaten seafood that was harvested by criminals. Illegal fishing represents up to 26 million tonnes of fish caught annually, valued at between $10 billion and $36.4 billion annually, making it the third most lucrative natural resource crime, following timber and mining. Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) occurs both on the high seas and in waters within national jurisdiction, and continues to pose one of the greatest threats to the world’s marine ecosystems. Simultaneously, it destabilizes both the food and job security of billions around the world.
Illegal fishing undermines national and regional efforts to conserve and manage fish stocks, and greatly disadvantages and discriminates against those fishers that act responsibly. The activities of fishers and vessels that engage in illegal fishing can also constitute, lead to, or go hand-in-hand with other crimes. Examples of fisheries-related crimes range from document fraud and money laundering to people trafficking and human-rights abuses.
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