Transaction Search Form: please type in any of the fields below.
Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
Time: 11:02 pm
Time: 11:02 pm
Results for illegal fishing
77 results foundAuthor: Frankcom, S., editor Title: Stop Illegal Fishing in Southern Africa Summary: This report looks at the status and impacts of Illegal, Unregulated, and Unreported (IUU) fishing in the southern African region, covering a number of themes and issues including international trade, certification, MCS (monitoring, control and surveillance), flag state issues, and port state measures. This report also includes country studies and interviews with key politicians. Details: Botswana: Stop Illegal Fishing Programme, 2008 Source: Year: 2008 Country: Botswana URL: Shelf Number: 114344 Keywords: Fishing IndustryIllegal FishingOffenses Against the EnvironmentUnregulated FishingWildlife Crime |
Author: Marine Resources Assessment Group Title: Review of the Impacts of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing on Developing Countries: Final Report Summary: Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is a global problem. Although there are numerous studies on IUU fishing in high seas waters, there is currently a lack of information on the economic and other impacts of IUU fishing on developing countries. This study sets out to address this lack, utilizing a literature review of empirical informatin and data from case studies of 10 developing countries around Africa and Oceania. Details: London: MRAG, 2005 Source: Year: 2005 Country: United Kingdom URL: Shelf Number: 115387 Keywords: AfricaIllegal FishingOceania |
Author: Clarke, Shelley Title: Trading tails: linkages between Russian salmon fisheries and East Asian markets. Summary: Ongoing efforts to study and conserve salmon species are targeting areas with high natural species diversity, un-degraded spawning habitat and limited existing legal and regulatory protection, and thus the salmon of the Kamchatka peninsula are a particular focus. Import data clearly indicate that East Asian markets receive a large portion of the Russian Far East's salmon catch. These markets may also play an active role in creating incentives for the illegal salmon trade. Therefore, exploring the relationship between markets and fisheries for Russian Far East salmon can provide a unique window on current salmon use practices as well as lead to new insights for sustainable management. In order to examine the roles of Japan, China and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) in the trade of illegal salmon from the Russian Federation, it is necessary to describe the characteristics of the salmon distribution systems in East Asian markets. This study then compares the total quantity of Russian salmon in these markets to catch estimates from the Russian Federation. After assessing the potential trade in Illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing products in this way, recommendations for trade measures to combat IUU activities are formulated. Details: Hong Kong: TRAFFIC East Asia, 2007, 120p. Source: Internet Source Year: 2007 Country: Hong Kong URL: Shelf Number: 117395 Keywords: IllegalIllegal FishingIllegal MarketsPoaching |
Author: Mwebaza, Rose Title: The Nature and Extent of Environmental Crimes in Seychelles Summary: This national study took place in Seychelles from January to March 2009 and included a national workshop to validate the findings. The study consisted of a thorough analysis of the state of the environment and the extent of environment crime in the country. In addition, the study examined the legal and institutional regime for combating environmental crime in Seychelles. Finally, an assessment of the challenges facing these institutions was undertaken and recommendations were made to effectively deal with the environmental crimes in the country. Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Institute for Security Studies, 2009. 31p. Source: Year: 2009 Country: Seychelles URL: Shelf Number: 118263 Keywords: Environmental CrimeIllegal FishingOffenses Against the EnvironmentPoaching |
Author: Pramod, Ganapathiraju Title: Sources of Information Supporting Estimates of Unreported Fishery Catches (IUU) for 59 Countries and the High Seas Summary: Estimating the level of illegal fishing is, by its very nature, extremely difficult and has not previously been attempted on a global scale. This report documents source materials used in assembling quantitative estimates of illegal fishery catches, unreported catches and discards used in a series of spreadsheet analyses as part of a global estimate of IUU fishing. Details: Vancouver, BC: Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia, 2008. 242p. Source: Fisheries Centre Research Reports, Volume 16, no. 4, 2008 Year: 2008 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 117325 Keywords: Illegal FishingOffenses Against the Environment |
Author: Vaisman, Alexey Title: Siberia's Black Gold: Harvest and Trade in Amur River Sturgeons in the Russian Federation Summary: This study reports on the population status of the Kaluga and Amur Sturgeon, evaluates legal fishing and illegal harvest of the sturgeons, and assesses efforts to prevent illegal sturgeon fishing in the Amur River basin. The study also investigates legal, and where possible, illegal trade in caviar and meat of Amur River sturgeons. Details: Brussels: TRAFFIC Europe, 2006. 31p. Source: N Year: 2006 Country: Russia URL: Shelf Number: 117679 Keywords: CaviarFish TradeIllegal FishingPoaching |
Author: National Environmental Trust (U.S.) Title: Black Markets for White Gold: The Illegal Trade in Chilean Sea Bass Summary: This report is based on a systematic review and analysis of seven months of shipping data concerning international trade in Patagonian and Antarctic toothfish (sold in the U.S. as Chilean Sea Bass), as well as years of international trade and production data, and the investigative findings of other organizations. Its purpose is to identify suspicious trade that may be tied to illegal catchers of this threatened species. Details: Washington, DC: National Environmental Trust, 2004. 36p. Source: Year: 2004 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 117320 Keywords: Illegal Fishing |
Author: Meere, Frank Title: Assessment of Impacts of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing in the Asia-Pacific Summary: Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the Asia-Pacific region has been the subject of considerable discussion over the last decade. During that period, concern about the economic, social and environmental impact of IUU fishing in the region, as elsewhere in the world, has increased. The overall objective of this study is provide a better understanding of the IUU fishing problem in the Asia-Pacific Region and to provide a basis for recommendations for minimizing IUU fishing and mitigating the impacts of this activity. The analysis in this report is based on three main sources of information: 1) a review of the literature and publicly available data on the nature and extent of IUU fishing in the region; 2) responses to questionnaires distribued to APEC member economies and intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations; and 3) four case studies of IUU fishing in the Asia-Pacific region. Details: Singapore: Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Secretariat, 2008. 106p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2008 Country: Asia URL: Shelf Number: 115785 Keywords: Illegal FishingOffenses Against the Environment |
Author: Australian Customs and Border Protection Service Title: Illegal Foreign Fishing in Australia's Northern Waters Summary: This audit assesses the effectiveness of the Customs and Border Protection's performance in managing and coordinating enforcement operations against illegal foreign fishing in Australia's northern waters. Details: Canberra: Australian National Audit Office, 2010. 148p. Source: Internet Resource; ANOA Audit Report No. 23 2009-2010 Year: 2010 Country: Australia URL: Shelf Number: 119207 Keywords: Crimes Against the EnvironmentIllegal FishingWildlife Crime |
Author: Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition Title: Illegal Toothfish Trade: Introducing Illegal Catches into the Markets Summary: Toothfish poaching has rapidly risen to become one of the most lucrative, illegal fishing businesses globally. For example, the 85 ton toothfish catch of the Viarsa 1 alone was worth as much as US$ 1 million (US$ 1.7 million as a retail product). Due to the high price that toothfish can reach at the docks, this fish has been called “white gold” by illegal fishermen. Illegal operators have been successful in exploiting loopholes in the set of measures developed by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) to control illegal fishing and trade in toothfish. In some cases, poachers even launder their illegal catch through the use of the Catch Documentation Scheme (CDS), the certification system designed to track the trade in toothfish and to ensure that shipments of toothfish brought to market are legally caught. This paper summarizes the main results of a research study conducted by the National Environmental Trust (NET) in the United States aimed at evaluating the magnitude of illegal Patagonian and Antarctic toothfish currently being imported into that country. The detailed findings of this study have been published in the report “Black Market for White Gold: the Illegal trade in Chilean Sea Bass”. The report describes a number of tactics that are used by illegal operators to smuggle their fish into the market, which are summarized in this paper. Taking into account that the United States is one of the main import markets of toothfish and that its government has been in the forefront of developing trade measures to prevent illegal toothfish to access the market, ASOC believes that the loopholes identified here are relevant for all global trade in toothfish. Indeed, the authors of the NET report concluded that it is likely that the patterns of trade that allow “illegal, unreported, and unregulated” (IUU) toothfish into the United States are similar in all countries that import this fish. Details: Washington, DC: ASOC, 2004. 16p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2004 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 119243 Keywords: Illegal FishingOffenses Against the EnvironmentWildlife Crime |
Author: Agnew, David Title: The Global Extent of Illegal Fishing Summary: Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing has now been recognised as a global problem, and many groups have developed proposals and plans for addressing IUU fishing. In order to clearly understand the impact of these initiatives we need to have a good understanding of current and historical levels of illegal fishing on a global and regional scale. Although a number of studies of illegal fishing have been undertaken previously, this report presents the first detailed quantitative analysis of the problem on a global scale. Estimates of illegal fishing from different Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and unregulated and unreported fishing high seas regions were collected through an IUU monitoring network (commissioned directly by the project) and sourced from the available literature and through discussions with monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) professionals. The combination of information was used to generate a series of in-depth studies detailing the level of illegal fishing for a number of different species in 60 countries (chosen as those with the highest catches in their EEZs) and 17 high seas FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation) regions. Overall the estimates of illegal fishing are based on a number of species and areas that constitute 46% of global catches based on FAO catch statistics. The level of IUU catches was calculated on a regional and species group basis. The results demonstrated that there are significant differences in the level of IUU catch and the trends in those catches between regions, being highest in the Eastern Central Atlantic (Area 34) and lowest in the Southwest Pacific (Area 81). Over the last 10 years IUU has declined in 7 areas, increased in one and stayed the same in the remaining 7. We estimate that the overall loss from our studied fisheries is 11-19% of the reported catch in those fisheries, worth some $5-11bn in 2003. Taking the total estimated value of illegal catch losses within the analysed fisheries and areas and raising by the proportion of the total world catch, the lower and upper estimates of the total value of current IUU losses worldwide were between $10bn and $23bn annually, representing between 11.06 and 25.91 million tonnes. This estimate is roughly consistent with estimates made recently by MRAG (2005) ($9bn), the European Commission (2007) ($15bn) and the estimates from Pauly et al..(2002) ($25bn)." Details: Vancouver, BC: Fisheries Ecosystems Restoration Research, Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia, 2008. 33p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2008 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 119371 Keywords: Illegal FishingOffenses Against the EnvironmentWildlife Crime |
Author: Palma, Mary Ann Title: Case Study on the Impacts of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing in the Sulawesi Sea Summary: "This report presents an analysis of the nature and extent of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the Sulawesi Sea, including their economic, social and environmental impacts and the factors contributing to IUU fishing in the area." Details: Singapore: Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Secretariat, 2008. 61p. Source: Internet Resource Year: 2008 Country: Asia URL: Shelf Number: 119372 Keywords: Illegal FishingOffenses Against the EnvironmentWildlife Crimes |
Author: Standing, Andre Title: Corruption and Industrial Fishing in Africa Summary: "Africa’s marine resources are increasingly in demand and are gaining in geo political importance. Competition between key fishing nations for access and control over marine resources is joined by competition between local communities and industrialised foreign fishing fleets. In this context, incentives for a range of illegal activities abound, to which African nations often have weak capacity to respond. The author describes key areas of concern relating to corruption and the exploitation of marine resources in African countries by foreign fishing fleets. Policy reforms that may reduce incentives and opportunities for corruption in fisheries management are also discussed." Details: Bergen, Norway: CHR. Michelsen Institute, 2008. 29p. Source: Internet Resource; U4 Issue 2008:7 Year: 2008 Country: Africa URL: Shelf Number: 119373 Keywords: Illegal FishingOffenses Against the EnvironmentWildlife Crimes |
Author: Bateman, Sam Title: Good Order at Sea in Southeast Asia Summary: This policy paper examines the threats to good order at sea in Southeast Asia . Threats to good order include piracy and armed robbery against ships, maritime terrorism, illicit trafficking in drugs and arms, people smuggling, pollution, illegal fishing and marine natural hazards. This paper reviews the current situation and makes recommendations for non-governmental actions that would enhance cooperation in addressing the problem. Details: Singapore: S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, 2009. 52p. Source: Internet Resource: RSIS Policy Paper: Accessed August 20, 2010 at: http://www.rsis.edu.sg/publications/policy_papers/RSIS_Policy%20Paper%20-%20Good%20Order%20at%20Sea_270409.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Asia URL: http://www.rsis.edu.sg/publications/policy_papers/RSIS_Policy%20Paper%20-%20Good%20Order%20at%20Sea_270409.pdf Shelf Number: 119644 Keywords: Drug SmugglingHuman SmugglingIllegal FishingIllicit TraffickingMaritime CrimeMaritime SecurityOffenses Against the EnvironmentPiratesWildlife Crime |
Author: Lack, Mary Title: Continuing CCAMLR's Fight Against IUU Fishing for Toothfish Summary: The future of the Patagonian and Antarctic Toothfish and the highly valuable fishery based on them concentrated in the Southern Ocean, is under significant pressure from illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. This report documents the fact that IUU fishing is severely undermining protection of these valuable species. Details: Sydney: World Wildlife Fund - Australia and TRAFFIC International, 2008. 60p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 21, 2010 at: http://www.traffic.org/species-reports/traffic_species_fish31.pdf Year: 2008 Country: International URL: http://www.traffic.org/species-reports/traffic_species_fish31.pdf Shelf Number: 115683 Keywords: Illegal FishingOffenses Against the EnvironmentWildlife Crime |
Author: Vogel, Augustus Title: Navies versus Coast Guards: Defining the Roles of African Maritime Security Forces Summary: Piracy, illegal fishing, and narcotics and human trafficking are growing rapidly in Africa and represent an increasingly central component of the threat matrix facing the continent. However, African states’ maritime security structures are often misaligned with the challenges posed and need coast guard capabilities and an array of intra-governmental partnerships. Details: Washington, DC: Africa Center for Strategic Studies, 2009. 6p Source: Internet Resource: Africa Security Brief, No. 2: Accessed August 30, 2010 at: http://africacenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/AfricaBrief_2.pdf Year: 2009 Country: Africa URL: http://africacenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/AfricaBrief_2.pdf Shelf Number: 119708 Keywords: Drug TraffickingHuman TraffickingIllegal FishingMaritime CrimeMaritime SecurityPirates |
Author: Mwanika, Philip Arthur Njuguna Title: Eco-Cop: Environmental Policing in Eastern Africa Summary: The power to police, as part of statecraft , is a basic attribute of contemporary government that manifests in a vast array of sites of governance, including not only the state itself, but also areas such as the community, the household and industry, and contemporary realms such as the war against terrorism. This paper looks at a particular dominant realm of governance that is a mainstay of modern policing, i.e. the environmental protection realm, and particularly the policing component known as environmental crime management. Towards that end, this paper attempts to make sense of the policing component understood as ‘environmental policing’ and how it is operationalised in Africa. Case studies from the Great Lakes and the Horn of Africa have been adopted. The question of whether the police institution in the continent should be involved in environmental protection or have an environmental enforcement component has been critically investigated against a backdrop of the political, societal, administrative and bureaucratic realities in the mentioned geo-political concerns. Details: Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies, 2010. 16p. Source: Internet Resource: ISS Paper 215: Accessed September 17, 2010 at: http://www.iss.co.za/uploads/215.pdf Year: 2010 Country: South Africa URL: http://www.iss.co.za/uploads/215.pdf Shelf Number: 119827 Keywords: Environmental ProtectionIllegal FishingIllegal LoggingIllegal TradeOffenses Against the EnvironmentPolicingWildlife Crimes |
Author: Bricknell, Samantha Title: Environmental Crime in Australia Summary: Environmental crime is the perpetration of harms against the environment that violate current law. The term environmental harm is often interchanged with environmental crime and, for some, any activity that has a deleterious effect on the environment is considered an environmental crime. At the other end of the spectrum, the harm may be conceived of as a crime per se only if it is subject to criminal prosecution and criminal sanction. The activities that are recognised in Australia as environmental crimes include: pollution or other contamination of air, land and water; illegal discharge and dumping of, or trade in, hazardous and other regulated waste; illegal trade in ozone-depleting substances; illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing; illegal trade in (protected) flora and fauna and harms to biodiversity; illegal logging and timber trade; illegal native vegetation clearance; and water theft. Compared with other crimes, environmental crime has taken longer to be accepted as a genuine category of crime. Changing perceptions about the vulnerability of the environment, particularly with respect to long-term outcomes of environmentally harmful practices, has altered this view to the extent that most behaviour with a potential environmental consequence is now tightly regulated. Environmental crime has received some research attention in Australia but little in the way of a comprehensive account. This report aims to address this by assembling the available literature to examine the nature and extent of environmental crime in Australia and the laws and other processes in place to prevent, deter and sanction environmental offences. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2010. 132p. Source: Internet Resource: AIC Reports, Research and Public Policy Series 109: Accessed October 18, 2010 at: http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/2/1/1/%7B211B5EB9-E888-4D26-AED4-1D4E76646E4B%7Drpp109.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Australia URL: http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/2/1/1/%7B211B5EB9-E888-4D26-AED4-1D4E76646E4B%7Drpp109.pdf Shelf Number: 120006 Keywords: Illegal FishingIllegal LoggingIllegal TradeOffenses Against the EnvironmentWildlife Crime |
Author: Palmer, Mick Title: Report on Illegal Fishing for Commercial Gain or Profit in NSW Summary: The illegal capture and sale of fish for commercial gain or profit is accepted as a significant issue in NSW. For a long time it has been known that abalone and rock lobster in particular have formed the basis of a significant illegal trade, but other species are becoming increasingly involved as the demand for fresh seafood, and the price of quality product, have risen. Various compliance strategies have been implemented over time to increase compliance capacity and effectiveness, with varying degrees of success. Accurate and timely information has traditionally been difficult to obtain and, consequently, even targeted compliance operations have frequently proven to be extremely resource and time intensive. The overall goal of this review is to scope and assess the nature and extent of illegal harvesting and black marketing of fish for commercial purposes and to recommend areas for potential improvement in legislation, regulation, education and enforcement including identifying the resources and priorities necessary to achieve optimal compliance and effective deterrents. Details: Sydney, N.S.W.: NSW Fisheries, 2004. 53p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 21, 2010 at: http://www.illegal-fishing.info/uploads/Black-Market-Report-NSW.pdf Year: 2004 Country: Australia URL: http://www.illegal-fishing.info/uploads/Black-Market-Report-NSW.pdf Shelf Number: 120042 Keywords: Illegal FishingOffenses Against the EnvironmentWildlife Crime |
Author: Environmental Justice Foundation Title: All At Sea: The Abuse of Human Rights Aboard Illegal Fishing Vessels Summary: Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) or ‘pirate’ fishing is devastating marine environments, stealing from developing nations and unsustainable. It is driven by the enormous global demand for seafood and is symptomatic of the wider crises in world fisheries. This report exposes how in their drive to maximise catch and minimise cost, illegal ‘pirate’ fishing operators ruthlessly exploit the crews working aboard their boats. EJF’s new report ‘All at Sea – the abuse of human rights aboard illegal fishing vessels’ documents how individuals working on pirate fishing vessels can be subject to excessive working hours, incarceration, and physical abuse up to and including murder. Often forced to work at sea for months and even years, in many cases the working conditions suffered by these crews meet International Labour Organisation (ILO) definitions of forced labour. The report provides case studies from West Africa, Southeast Asia, the Indian and Pacific Oceans, all regions with high incidences of illegal fishing. Human rights abuses directly documented by EJF and other organisations, including the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF), include physical and emotional abuse, incarceration, forced labour without pay, abandonment, and reports of murder. The majority of workers on IUU fishing vessels are hired through recruitment agencies that target vulnerable, powerless individuals who are very often not experienced fishers and are hired from rural areas in developing countries where alternative work is in desperately short supply. Unfortunately for these crews, the international legal instruments needed to address the human rights abuses aboard illegal fishing vessels do not exist, are voluntary, or have not been ratified by the international community. Details: London: Environmental Justice Foundation, 2010. 23p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 26, 2010 at: Year: 2010 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 120002 Keywords: Forced LaborHuman RightsIllegal Fishing |
Author: Bawumia, Mahamudu Title: Fisheries, Ecosystems and Piracy: A Case Study of Somalia Summary: It has been argued that a possible root cause of Somali piracy is the (illegal) overfishing that has been taking place in the country's waters, which has deprived local fishers of their livelihoods, and which may be considered as another form of 'piracy'. In this paper, we explore the origins of this argument using both historical and ecosystem justice frameworks. We demonstrate in this contribution that this claim has some wings to it and that further research is needed to verify if this claim, as we suspect, is empirically valid. Details: Vancouver, BC: Fisheries Centre, University of British Columbia, 2010. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper Series; Working Paper # 2010-04: Accessed December 2, 2010 at: ftp://ftp.fisheries.ubc.ca/FCWP/2010/FCWP_2010-04_BawumiaSumaila.pdf Year: 2010 Country: Somalia URL: Shelf Number: 120346 Keywords: Illegal FishingOffenses Against the EnvironmentPirates/Piracy (Somalia)Wildlife Crime |
Author: Arky, Aaron S. Title: Trading Nets for Guns: The Impact of Illegal Fishing on Piracy in Somalia Summary: Somali piracy reached a record high level in 2008, with 111 of the 293 worldwide attacks occurring in the waters surrounding Somalia. The incidence of piracy in Somali waters almost doubled in 2009, and the Somali share of total piracy attacks worldwide increased from under 40% to over 50%. Often overlooked is the initial upsurge in piracy, following the Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004, which contributed to a sharp increase in piracy in 2005 and again in 2008. This thesis addresses why this initial surge occurred when it did. This increase can be attributed to the transformation of the pirate business model from fishermen who started to defend themselves, to the organized crime that displaced them in 2004 due to the opportunistic behavior of warlords. A convergence of factors contributing to the conditions at the time of the tsunami had short-term effects in 2005 that were enough to provide a boost to the already increasing business model of piracy. Details: Monterey, CA: Naval Postgraduate School, 2010. 41p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed December 2, 2010 at: http://www.hsdl.org/?view&doc=131926&coll=limited Year: 2010 Country: International URL: http://www.hsdl.org/?view&doc=131926&coll=limited Shelf Number: 120362 Keywords: Illegal FishingMaritime CrimeOffenses Against the EnvironmentOrganized CrimePiracy/PiratesPiratesWildlife Crime |
Author: Australia. Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and forestry Title: Australian National Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing Summary: Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing seriously damages fish stocks, associated species and the marine environment in waters of national jurisdiction and on the high seas. The IPOA-IUU calls on all States to take effective measures globally, regionally and nationally to combat IUU fishing. Australia played a leading role in the development and adoption of the IPOA-IUU by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO). Effective implementation of the voluntary IPOA-IUU through binding commitments applicable in waters of national jurisdiction and on the high seas is possible only if States enact appropriate domestic laws and if regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs) adopt binding fishery conservation and management measures to that effect. This AUS-NPOA-IUU is Australia’s initial National Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate IUU Fishing. It has been developed through extensive consultation with relevant stakeholders in Australia, including state and territory government fisheries agencies, national government departments and agencies, fishing industry representatives, and non-governmental organisations concerned about the conservation and sustainable management of fisheries and the preservation and protection of related species and biodiversity. After an introduction that outlines the significance of IUU fishing for Australia and Australia’s role in addressing the issue internationally, the AUS-NPOA-IUU follows the structure of the IPOA-IUU and deals essentially with every provision paragraph by paragraph. The AUS-NPOA-IUU also outlines actions in all Australian jurisdictions to fish responsibly and combat IUU fishing, since around 80 per cent by value of Australian fish production derives from state and territory managed fisheries. Where state and territory actions relate closely to specific paragraphs of the IPOA-IUU, they are included in the relevant sections of the national plan of action. Other important measures by the states and territories are outlined in Annex 4. Internationally, Australia is party to the major global and regional fisheries-related conventions and treaties, participates fully in the Committee on Fisheries of FAO and implements the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and related instruments. New measures to be implemented include formal endorsement of the NPOA-Seabirds, finalisation of several new fishery plans of management and negotiation of new high seas fishery agreements as new and currently unregulated fisheries emerge. Australian jurisdictions have comprehensive fisheries laws in place and are committed to amend them as new regulatory needs are identified. Implementing stronger and more effective measures to combat (internal) cross-border fisheries crime is a particular priority for all jurisdictions. In New South Wales, a review of crime in fisheries is expected to result in major improvements in fisheries regulation and compliance. Details: Canberra: Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, 2005. 99p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 18, 2011 at: http://www.daff.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/33963/npoa_iuu_fishing.pdf Year: 2005 Country: Australia URL: http://www.daff.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/33963/npoa_iuu_fishing.pdf Shelf Number: 120818 Keywords: Illegal FishingWildlife Crime |
Author: Vogel, Augustus Title: Investing in Science and Technology to Meet Africa’s Maritime Security Challenges Summary: A growing number of Africa’s security challenges – narcotics trafficking, piracy, illegal fishing, and armed robberies, among others – take place at sea. Illicit actors exploit Africa’s maritime space given its expansiveness and the limited number of vessels African governments can field to interdict this activity. In this Africa Security Brief, Augustus Vogel argues that technology can dramatically improve Africa’s maritime security coverage. However, to do so will require engaging Africa’s scientists who can guide and sustain these efforts. This will yield not only security but environmental and meteorological benefits for the continent. Details: Washington, DC: Africa Center for Strategic Studies, 2011. 6p. Source: Internet Resource: Africa Security Brief, No. 10: Accessed March 15, 2011 at: http://www.ndu.edu/press/lib/pdf/ACSS-Research-Papers/ACSS-10.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Africa URL: http://www.ndu.edu/press/lib/pdf/ACSS-Research-Papers/ACSS-10.pdf Shelf Number: 120917 Keywords: Drug TraffickingIllegal FishingKidnappingsMaritime CrimeMaritime SecurityPiracy/PiratesViolence (Africa) |
Author: Clarke, Shelley Title: Understanding China's Fish Trade and Traceability Systems Summary: It is widely acknowledged that developments in China, the fastest-growing major economy in the world, have a crucial influence on the future of a wide range of global industries. It should not therefore be surprising that China also plays a pivotal role in the global seafood industry. In fact, China is now the world’s leading exporter of marine fish products, outranking Peru, Norway, the Russian Federation, the USA, Thailand and Chile in 2006. Despite these statistics, details of the fish reprocessing industry (i.e. from imported materials) are not well understood owing to a lack of publicly available data. Better understanding of how fisheries resources are used by China, and the extent to which these processes are controlled by national and international regulations, is an essential component of effective global fisheries management. By illuminating the role China plays in fish reprocessing, the extent to which China must be involved in solutions to the problems of overfishing and illegal, unreported and unregulated catches (IUU) is highlighted. This study has aimed to compile information comprehensively from a wide variety of sources in a fair and consistent manner around two major themes. The first describes the historical development and current structure and operation of China’s fish re-processing trade. This trade is examined by species and product by working backwards to source fisheries and forwards to end-markets. The regulation of the trade using product yield is then described and assessed. The second theme documents current systems for fish traceability in China to understand where there may be weaknesses which allow infiltration of illegally sourced fish. The ability of these systems to comply with existing and pending international fish certification and documentation schemes is also discussed. Under both of these topics, the scope of this study is limited to fish from marine capture fisheries caught or re-processed by mainland China. Aquaculture and domestic consumption within mainland China are not covered. Although Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan have special links with the mainland, these areas maintain their own systems of governance, regulations and trade statistics and thus are also outside the scope of this report. Details: Hong Kong, China: TRAFFIC East Asia, 2009. 111p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 5, 2011 at: www.traffic.org/fisheries-reports/traffic_pub_fisheries9.pdf Year: 2009 Country: China URL: Shelf Number: 121649 Keywords: Illegal FishingWildlife Crime (China) |
Author: de Coning, Eve Title: Transnational Organized Crime in the Fishing Industry. Focus on: Trafficking in Persons; Smuggling of Migrants; Illicit Drugs Trafficking Summary: The study posed the questions whether there is transnational organized crime and other criminal activity in the fishing industry and, if so, what the vulnerabilities of the fishing industry are to transnational organized crime or other criminal activity. The research took the form of a six-month desk review of available literature, supplemented by ad hoc consultations and a two-day expert consultation held in Vienna, Austria. Importantly the study did not set out to tarnish the fishing industry. Rather, the study sought to determine whether criminal activities take place within the fishing industry to the detriment of law-abiding fishers, the legitimate fishing industry, local fishing communities and the general public alike. The study considered the involvement of the fishing industry or the use of fishing vessels in trafficking in persons (Chapter 2); smuggling of migrants (Chapter 3); illicit traffic in drugs (Chapter 4); and other forms of crime such as marine living resource crime, corruption, and piracy and other security related crimes (Chapter 5). Details: Vienna: United Nations, 2011. 146p. Source: Internet Resource: accessed May 9, 2011 at: http://www.unodc.org/documents/human-trafficking/Issue_Paper_-_TOC_in_the_Fishing_Industry.pdf Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://www.unodc.org/documents/human-trafficking/Issue_Paper_-_TOC_in_the_Fishing_Industry.pdf Shelf Number: 121659 Keywords: Child TraffickingDrug TraffickingForced LaborHuman TraffickingIllegal FishingIllegal MigrantsMaritime CrimeOffenses Against the EnvironmentOrganized CrimePirates/Piracy |
Author: Stiles, Margot L. Title: Bait and Switch: How Seafood Fraud Hurts Our Oceans, Our Wallets and Our Health Summary: Seafood is one of the most popular foods in the United States. Yet, consumers are routinely given little or no information about where and when seafood is harvested. Moreover, the information that is provided on seafood labels is frequently misleading or fraudulent. The government actively promotes the health benefits of dining on fish twice a week (USDA 2011) and global consumption is on the rise (FAO 2010). At the same time, overfishing continues to plague the world’s oceans, with more than three-quarters of fish stocks worldwide fully or overexploited. Partly in response to a decline in U.S. fisheries, most seafood eaten in the U.S. (84 percent) is imported, following an increasingly complex path from a fishing boat to our plates. Despite growing concern about where our food comes from, consumers are frequently served the wrong fish — a completely different species than the one they paid for. Recent studies have found that seafood may be mislabeled as often as 25 to 70 percent of the time for fish like red snapper, wild salmon, and Atlantic cod, disguising species that are less desirable, cheaper or more readily available. With about 1,700 different species of seafood from all over the world now available for sale in the U.S. (FDA 2009), it is unrealistic to expect the American consumer to be able to independently and accurately determine what fish is really being served. In the U.S., the consumer price index for seafood has risen more than 27 percent over the past ten years, remaining steadily higher than other foods and creating significant economic incentives for fraud and illegal fishing. Most seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported, yet only two percent is currently inspected. In addition to tracking systems, the U.S. needs to increase the frequency and scope of inspections to verify seafood’s safety and origin at each step along the way. Traceability requires recording comprehensive information about each fish as it moves through processing, packing and distribution. In order to prevent fraud, consumers need to know where seafood comes from and be able to trace it all the way back to the sea. Details: Washington, DC: Oceana, 2011. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 14, 2011 at: http://na.oceana.org/sites/default/files/reports/SeafoodFraudReport_2011.pdf Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://na.oceana.org/sites/default/files/reports/SeafoodFraudReport_2011.pdf Shelf Number: 122055 Keywords: Consumer Fraud (U.S.)Illegal Fishing |
Author: Kaczynski, Vlad M.. Title: Illegal Activities in Marine Protected Areas: The Case of Guinea-Bissau, West Africa Summary: At the time when many industrialized economies enjoy healthy economic growth, many developing countries including these located in Sub-Saharan Africa suffer an outright decline in welfare, economic crisis and deterioration of their natural environments. In many poor countries, in spite of great potential of their coastal resources, technological, economic and managerial capabilities to use them do not exist or in order to gain badly needed hard currency they export or allow to take away by foreigners their natural resources thus feeding other markets including these in rich industrialized countries. As a result deficit of food and malnutrition is deepening in the developing countries and Africa is the most appealing example of this trend. Coastal lands in poorest African countries are increasingly cleared of mangroves, their fishery resources are exploited by foreign operators and drug trafficking is expanding because of weak or absent capabilities of these states to control these pressures and activities. The United States interests in successful economic growth and good governance in developing countries of Africa are multifaceted. Some of these interests are economic: the economic success or failure of these countries determine the gains from trade and investment that the United States reaps in its economic relations with many African countries. Other US interests are of security nature and illegal resource exploitation combined with growing smuggling of drugs to Europe and the US are of great concern for the US Home Security Department as well as to the US development and aid programs. The poor state’s failure is both the cause and consequence of international criminality, including pirate operations and international drug trafficking. Such states are easy prey for criminal groups, pirates and drug smugglers. The poor coastal African country of Guinea-Bissau cannot afford to establish or maintain necessary controls and surveillance system to prevent these negative trends and these include environmental degradation that is caused by tropical deforestation, overfishing, soil erosion, loss of biodiversity and long-term climate change. Additional challenge this country faces is quickly growing drug trafficking that transits through Guinea-Bissau waters and land routes to push drugs from Africa and South America to the industrialized markets, particularly Europe and the United States. Is there a strategic significance of inequities in income levels, economic growth and, in capabilities of poor nations to assure good governance and sustainable use of their natural resources and if so, which policy might the industrialized countries pursue to address those strategic concerns? The similar question may be posed in regard to ther ocean policy toward developing countries having in mind continuing deterioration of their marine and coastal environments and declining possibilities to produce food of aquatic origin for their growing populations. Details: Seattle, WA: School of Marine Affairs and Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington; Republic of Guinea-Bissau, West Africa: Ministry of Interior, 2006. 11p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 15, 2011 at: http://akson.sgh.waw.pl/~trusek/globalization/papers/kaczynski-djassi.pdf Year: 2006 Country: Guinea-Bissau URL: http://akson.sgh.waw.pl/~trusek/globalization/papers/kaczynski-djassi.pdf Shelf Number: 122390 Keywords: Drug TraffickingIllegal FishingIllegal LoggingMaritime CrimeOffenses Against the Environment (Guinea-Bissau) |
Author: Keese-Nagy, Katalin Title: Trade in Sturgeon Caviar in Bulgaria and Romania: Overview of Reported Trade in Caviar, 1998-2008 Summary: The aim of this briefing is to provide an overview of legal trade patterns of caviar of Acipenseriformes from Bulgaria and Romania (hereafter referred to as the ‘two target countries’) for the period 1998 to 2008 and to gather information of detected cases of illegal trade in sturgeon caviar where these two countries were implicated. In response to reported declines in sturgeon populations and with the aim of ensuring that trade in sturgeon products, such as caviar, is sustainable and not threatening the species’ survival, all species of sturgeon and paddlefish have been listed in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) since April 1998. Accordingly, in April 1998, the order was also listed in Annex B of the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations (EU Regulations) implementing CITES in the European Union (EU). The Annex B/Appendix II listing regulates trade in all parts and derivatives, including caviar, meat, etc. Fishing and export of sturgeon and sturgeon products of wild origin was banned in Romania in 2006 for 10 years. In an overview of global caviar trade for the period 1998 to 2006, TRAFFIC reported that legal international trade amounted to 1313 t; with Romania ranking as the world’s fifth largest caviar exporter, exporting 26 tonnes (t) over the period, after Iran (438 t), the Russian Federation (138 t), Kazakhstan (95 t), Azerbaijan (35 t) and China (29 t) (TRAFFIC, 2009). The EU was reported to be the world’s largest importer of caviar for the period 1998-2006, importing 619 t, followed by the USA (292 t), Switzerland (149 t) and Japan (132 t) (TRAFFIC, 2009). During the same period, the volumes of caviar reported in international trade per year plummeted from a peak at 263 tonnes (t) in 1999 to 44 t in 2006. Regarding illegal trade in caviar, it is difficult to quantify its levels, as this is by nature a hidden activity. However, large seizures of illegal caviar in Europe indicate that there is a thriving black market in the luxury roe. They also demonstrate that caviar smugglers are well-organized and use sophisticated methods and the illegal caviar trade is considered to have strong links with organized crime groups. According to data reported to EU-TWIX, over 7 t of illegal caviar were seized by European authorities from 2000 to 2007 (TRAFFIC, 2009). However, the real size of the illegal trade is likely to be considerably higher, given that much of it is undetected and information is incomplete for some importing countries. Details: Budapest, Hungary: TRAFFIC Europe, 2011. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 26, 2011 at: http://www.wwf.de/fileadmin/fm-wwf/pdf_neu/Trade%20in%20Sturgeon%20Caviar%20in%20Bulgaria%20and%20Romania.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Europe URL: http://www.wwf.de/fileadmin/fm-wwf/pdf_neu/Trade%20in%20Sturgeon%20Caviar%20in%20Bulgaria%20and%20Romania.pdf Shelf Number: 123401 Keywords: CaviarIllegal FishingIllegal Trade (Europe)Organized CrimeWildlife Crime |
Author: Sörenson, Karl Title: Wrong Hands on Deck? Combating Piracy & Building Maritim Security in Eastern Africa Summary: This report investigates the threats to maritime security in Eastern Africa, the responses to deal with these threats and the prospects for building maritime security in the region. The report discusses three aspects of maritime security: economic security, state security, and human security. While the Somali piracy, which dominates the security agenda, is mainly an economic security problem, it has both state and human security implications. Other illegal activities, such as smuggling of weapons and drugs, illegal fishing, waste dumping and smuggling of humans are also analysed according to these categorises. The report argues that paying more attention to all these activities; their underlying incentives and area of impact, would benefit the international community’s current work to build maritime security in Eastern Africa. Details: Stockholm, Sweden: FOI, Swedish Defense Research Agency, Division of Defense Analysis, 2011. 52p. Source: User Report: Internet Resource: Accessed on January 29, 2012 at http://www.foi.se/upload/projekt/Afrikagruppen/FOI-R--3228--SE%20Marin%20S%C3%A4kerhet.pdf Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://www.foi.se/upload/projekt/Afrikagruppen/FOI-R--3228--SE%20Marin%20S%C3%A4kerhet.pdf Shelf Number: 123877 Keywords: Human SmugglingIllegal FishingMaritime Security (Eastern Africa)Piracy (Eastern Africa)Weapons Smuggling |
Author: Standing, Andre Title: Making Transparency Work in Africa's Marine Fisheries Summary: Global problems facing the marine fisheries sector, including overfishing and the marginalization of the small-scale sector, are leading to increased international awareness of the need to improve transparency in fisheries governance. This Issue paper considers the situation in Africa, where access to information on commercial fisheries and related investments, including foreign aid for fisheries development and marine conservation, are generally lacking. It suggests improving transparency may lead to important gains, such as reducing corruption, improving the effectiveness of aid, and combating illegal fishing. However, the extent to which transparency can make a difference in these areas depends on a number of conditions, including the strength of mediating organisations, the strength of accountability mechanisms, and whether there are robust means to allow for ‘principal-led’ transparency. The paper reflects on the value of establishing a dedicated transparency initiative for marine fisheries inspired by the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). Details: Bergen: Chr. Michelsen Institute (U4 Issue 2011:11) 35 p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 29, 2012 at: http://www.u4.no/publications/making-transparency-work-in-africa-s-marine-fisheries/ Year: 0 Country: Africa URL: http://www.u4.no/publications/making-transparency-work-in-africa-s-marine-fisheries/ Shelf Number: 124320 Keywords: CorruptionFisheriesIllegal FishingNatural ResourcesWildlife Crime |
Author: Fröhlich, Tanja Title: Organised environmental crime in a few Candidate Countries Summary: The study at issue investigates organized environmental crime in the five Accession Countries: Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania and Poland. The study encompasses: a numerical evaluation of cases of organised environmental crime in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania and Poland; an analysis of the legal environment concerning organised environmental crime in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania and Poland; a review of the enforcement structures concerning organised environmental crime in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania and Poland. The following sectors are covered: illegal commercial trade in endangered species and their products; illegal pollution, dumping and storage of waste, including transfrontier shipment of hazardous waste; illegal commercial trade in ozone depleting substances; illegal dumping and shipment of radioactive waste and potentially radioactive material; illegal logging and illegal trade in wood; and illegal fishing. Details: Kassel, Germany: BfU, 2003. 625p. Source: Final Report: Internet Resource: Accessed March 2, 2012 at http://ec.europa.eu/environment/legal/crime/pdf/organised_candidate_countries.pdf Year: 2003 Country: Europe URL: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/legal/crime/pdf/organised_candidate_countries.pdf Shelf Number: 124362 Keywords: Endangered SpeciesEnvironmental Crime (Czech Republic) (Estonia) (HuIllegal FishingIllegal LoggingOffenses Against the EnvironmentOrganized CrimePollution |
Author: The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists Title: The Last Fish: Plunder in the South Pacific Summary: Looting the Seas is an award-winning project by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists looking at forces that are rapidly emptying oceans of fish. In its first installment ICIJ documented the massive black market in threatened bluefin tuna. In the second, it revealed that billions of dollars in subsidies flow into the Spanish fishing industry despite its record of flouting rules and breaking the law. For the last of the three-part investigation, ICIJ reporters focused on an unlikely protagonist: the bony, bronzed-hued jack mackerel in the southern Pacific. Industrial fleets, after fishing out other waters decimated it at stunning speed. Since so much jack mackerel is reduced to fishmeal for aquaculture and pigs, we eat it unaware with each forkful of farmed salmon. The plunder continues today as the world’s largest trawlers head south before binding quotas are established. Not long ago, this was one of the world’s richest fishing grounds. ICIJ reporters ranged from New Zealand’s South Island to the top of Norway and from ramshackle wharves in Chile and Peru to carpeted offices in Brussels and Hong Kong. They conducted more than 100 interviews; filed freedom of information requests in the European Union, Peru and the Netherlands; and analyzed more than 100,000 catch and inspection records. In Chile, where the damage is greatest, Juan Pablo Figueroa Lasch of the investigative reporting center CIPER looked at the few powerful families and industrial groups that control 87 percent of the jack mackerel catch. He lived aboard the Santa María II, watching as fishermen hauled up mostly empty nets. In Peru, Milagros Salazar of IDL-Reporteros investigated another species used for fishmeal, anchoveta. It is the world’s largest fishery. She found cheating so massive – at rigged scales and unsupervised docks – that at least 630,000 tons of fish “vanished” in just two and a half years. Fish, the reporters found, are at the heart of geopolitical wrangling among governments that protect, and often subsidize, their fleets. Mar Cabra, who covered Brussels, is still waiting for most EU records she requested through freedom of information laws. EU officials refused to give her catch records, saying disclosure would undermine the “protection of commercial interests.” Plenty of sources spoke frankly and at length. When Mort Rosenblum asked to speak with the elusive Ng Joo Siang, head of the giant Hong Kong fishing conglomerate, Pacific Andes, the company’s outsourced public relations people refused to transmit the request. But a call to the man’s cell phone produced a lengthy and revealing interview. Our media partners are Le Monde (France), the International Herald Tribune, South China Morning Post (Hong Kong), El Mundo (Spain) and Trouw (The Netherlands). In addition, ICIJ is co-producing a documentary with London-based tve that is planned to air on BBC World News TV in the spring. Key findings: Asian, European and Latin American fleets have devastated fish stocks in the southern Pacific, once among the world’s richest waters; Since 2006, jack mackerel stocks have declined by nearly twothirds. The oily fish is a staple in Africa, but people elsewhere are unaware that it is in their forkfuls of farmed salmon. Jack mackerel is a vital component of fishmeal for aquaculture; National interests and geopolitical rivalry have blocked efforts since 2006 to ratify a regional fisheries management organization that can impose binding regulations to rescue jack mackerel from further collapse; In Chile, a handful of companies controlled by wealthy families own rights to 87 percent of the jack mackerel catch; with government backing, they have secured unrealistically high quotas — beyond what scientists say are essential to save the stock; In Peru, the world’s second largest fishing nation, widespread cheating at fishmeal plants allows companies to overfish and evade taxes. At least 630,000 tons of anchoveta – worth nearly $200 million as fishmeal – “vanished” over two and a half years. Details: The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), Source: Looting the Seas III: Internet Resource: Accessed March 18, 2012 at http://www.kintera.org/atf/cf/%7B4de9af69-2fdc-420c-944b-436045c9b0e8%7D/LOOTING_THE_SEAS_3.PDF?tr=y&auid=10229971 Year: 0 Country: International URL: http://www.kintera.org/atf/cf/%7B4de9af69-2fdc-420c-944b-436045c9b0e8%7D/LOOTING_THE_SEAS_3.PDF?tr=y&auid=10229971 Shelf Number: 124851 Keywords: Environmental CrimeIllegal FishingOffenses Against the EnvironmentPoaching |
Author: Hongzhou, Zhang Title: China’s Evolving Fishing Industry: Implications for Regional and Global Maritime Security Summary: Having the world’s largest fishing fleet while facing depleting fishery resources in its inshore waters, China’s marine catch sector has been experiencing two major structural adjustments: a shift from inshore to offshore fishing and expanding Distant Water Fishing (DWF). The shift from inshore to offshore fishing is leading to growing illegal fishing operations by Chinese fishermen in neighboring countries’ EEZs and disputed waters, particularly in the East China Sea and South China Sea. These operations become triggers for maritime tensions and clashes in the region. Meanwhile, the rapid expansion of China’s distant water fishing fleet also has notable implications for global maritime security. China’s growing distant water fishing fleet is also one of the factors leading to China’s efforts to build a blue water navy to safeguard China’s maritime interests. However, it might also contribute to overfishing and illegal fishing which threatens the sustainability of the global fishing sector. The root causes of fishing disputes between China and other countries are China’s worsening supply and demand imbalances for aquatic products, and overcapacity of its marine catch sector. Thus, in order to manage fisheries disputes and prevent fishing disputes from escalating into regional and global diplomatic and security conflicts, efforts at national, regional and global levels are needed. At the national level, China needs to step up efforts to address the demand and supply imbalances and at the regional and global level, cooperation and coordination among countries are essential to prevent fishing disputes from escalating. If the structural shifts of China’s fishing industry could be well managed, the fishing sector could be an ideal field for cooperation to achieve maritime safety and security at both regional and global levels. Details: Singapore: S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, 2012. 46p. Source: Internet Resource: RSIS Working Paper, 246: Accessed August 23, 2012 at: http://www.rsis.edu.sg/publications/WorkingPapers/WP246.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Singapore URL: http://www.rsis.edu.sg/publications/WorkingPapers/WP246.pdf Shelf Number: 126109 Keywords: Illegal FishingMaritime CrimeOffenses Against the Environment (Singapore)Overfishing |
Author: Elliott, Lorraine, ed. Title: Transnational Environmental Crime in the Asia-Pacific: A Workshop Report Summary: Transnational environmental crime (TEC) includes a range of activities: illegal logging and timber smuggling, wildlife smuggling, illegal fishing, the black market in Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS), the illegal movement of prohibited or regulated chemicals and hazardous and toxic wastes and, potentially, an illegal market in genetically modified organisms and illicitly obtained genetic material. Globally, the scale of transnational environmental crime has been estimated to be a black market similar in value to that of drugs or arms. The transnational dimension of this broad range of activities arises because the goods or commodities are sourced illegally and then smuggled across borders, or because they are traded in contravention of international conventions such as the Montreal Protocol (on substances that deplete the ozone layer) or CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) or the Basel Convention on the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes, or because the profits and/or perpetrators move across borders. Some commodities are laundered into the licit economy whereas others remain in the shadow illicit economy. The ‘chain of custody’ crimes associated with environmental smuggling range from small scale opportunistic activity through to systematic and large-scale organized crime that involves money laundering and corruption, parallel trading and the exchange of illegal environmental goods for other forms of illicit commodities. In the Asia Pacific, as the short papers in this workshop report attest, these are serious problems with consequences for environmental degradation and sustainable development, good governance, security, the legitimacy of legal institutions, national economies, markets, civil society and local communities. These are not, of course, simply problems ‘out there’ and we should not fall into the trap of reducing these to ‘developing country’ problems. Developed countries generate demand and provide markets for illegal environmental resources. The profits of illegal environmental goods are sometimes laundered through developed countries, facilitated by criminal groups and otherwise legitimate actors in those countries. Yet while other forms of transnational crime such as drugs smuggling, arms trafficking, people smuggling and terrorism have attracted considerable public and policy attention, TEC has been paid much less attention by academics and policy-makers alike even though it generates similar kinds of policy challenges. There is an extensive body of work within the environmental literature on individual types of illegality but little done on developing a more comprehensive global governance or international relations approach to this category of illegal transnational and global activity.2 The public Forum and round-table Workshop whose results are reported here were intended in part as a corrective to this. Rather than re-establishing the narratives about particular problems, the focus in the papers and in discussions was on policy responses. A number of important issues informed that discussion: • where should intervention be directed – prevention, interdiction, enforcement, punishment? • what do we need to manage these interventions – is this a matter of more resources and effective capacity? Or do we face broader problems of policy incoherence? • what lessons can we learn from existing policy responses in the region? Details: Canberra: Department of International Relations, RSPAS, The Australian National University, 2007. 87p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 25, 2012 at: http://ips.cap.anu.edu.au/ir/tec/publications/Transnational_environmental_crime_Asia_Pacific_workshop_report_TEC_Workshop_Report_2007.pdf Year: 2007 Country: Asia URL: http://ips.cap.anu.edu.au/ir/tec/publications/Transnational_environmental_crime_Asia_Pacific_workshop_report_TEC_Workshop_Report_2007.pdf Shelf Number: 126444 Keywords: Hazardous WastesIllegal FishingIllegal LoggingNatural ResourcesOffenses Against the Environment (Asia - Pacific RWildlife Smuggling |
Author: Richardson, Mark Title: Protecting America’s Pacific Marine Monuments: A Review of Threats and Law Enforcement Issues Summary: In January 2009, President George W. Bush exercised his authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906 to establish the Marianas Trench, Pacific Remote Islands, and Rose Atoll Marine National Monuments. Collectively, the three monuments encompass nearly 200,000 square miles of low coral islands and their surrounding pelagic zones, which extend roughly 50 nautical miles (nm) seaward of island shorelines. These areas harbor some of the last relatively pristine marine ecosystems in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, and are home to countless species of marine wildlife, including dolphins, whales, turtles, seabirds, fish, invertebrates, and corals. The presidential proclamations creating these areas prohibit all commercial resource extraction activities, explicitly ban commercial fishing, and allow limited subsistence or recreational fishing. The creation of the monuments reflects a growing trend in ocean protection as nations shift their focus away from smaller, coastal Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in favor of larger areas that capture an array of marine ecosystems and biodiversity (e.g., the South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands Marine Protected Area created in 2012 spans 386,372 square miles). Unfortunately, large ocean areas remote from human populations are difficult and costly to manage and enforce. Without the provision of sufficient resources, even government agencies of wealthy nations cannot monitor these places on a consistent basis, let alone manage and protect them at a level commensurate with their status as internationally recognized conservation areas. To ensure that the US Pacific marine national monuments (MNMs) in the Western and Central Pacific do not simply linger as “paper parks,” Marine Conservation Institute assessed the major human threats to these areas and reviewed the current performance of US law enforcement agencies in deterring and prosecuting activities that could prove catastrophic to monument ecosystems. Based on an analysis of vessel traffic in the region, damage to the Pacific MNMs is likely to occur in one of the following ways: 1) illegal fishing activity by US or foreign fishing vessels; 2) accidental groundings and oil spills by large commercial vessels (e.g. container ships or tankers) or fishing vessels; or 3) introduction of invasive marine or terrestrial species by small recreational vessels (e.g. sailboats) that trespass in nearshore island waters or on the islands themselves. A synthesis of government documents, personal interviews with federal enforcement staff, and information from international fishery management organizations shows that vessel-based threats continue to manifest themselves inside Pacific marine national monuments. For example: Since the monuments were created in January 2009, there have been low but consistent levels of illegal fishing by US-registered vessels inside the boundaries of Rose Atoll and Pacific Remote Islands MNMs. Foreign fishing vessel incursions are a regular occurrence in the vast and discontinuous US Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean; there have been at least two documented cases of foreign vessels fishing illegally inside Marianas Trench MNM, and many more suspected violations. There have been several documented cases of attempted or actual illegal trespass by recreational sailing vessels at various islands within the Pacific Remote Islands MNM; in one case the presence of an invasive terrestrial species (a rat) was linked to a trespassing vessel at Johnston Atoll, which previously had been cleared of rats. Historically, commercial fishing vessels have posed the greatest threat of accidental groundings and spills; in the last 25 years there have been groundings on Rose Atoll, Palmyra Atoll, and Kingman Reef, all of which caused significant and lingering damage. Large container and tanker vessels pose a potential threat of catastrophic contamination and physical damage to the monuments through accidental groundings and spills, but the frequency and location of commercial vessel traffic are not routinely tracked or made public by federal agencies or international agencies. In addition to documenting these threats, we analyzed routine law enforcement operations in the Pacific Islands region to assess government agency capabilities to track, respond to, and deter illegal activity. To effectively deal with threats, federal law enforcement agencies need to have a minimum set of things in place, including: 1) clear and enforceable regulations; 2) adequate financial, human, and technological resources; 3) a surveillance and monitoring system that detects vessels in real-time; 4) an effective public outreach and education program that contributes to voluntary compliance; and 5) a mechanism for interagency cooperation that allows agencies to leverage scarce resources and find collaborative solutions to problems. Details: Marine Conservation Institute, 2012. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 9, 2012 at: http://www.marine-conservation.org/media/filer_public/2012/10/04/pacific_islands_enforcement_final_case_studyfull_version.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: http://www.marine-conservation.org/media/filer_public/2012/10/04/pacific_islands_enforcement_final_case_studyfull_version.pdf Shelf Number: 126665 Keywords: Illegal FishingMaritime CrimeWildlife Crime |
Author: Lack, M. Title: Catching On? Trade-related Measures as a Fisheries Management Tool Summary: This report examines the experience of regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) with the use of trade-related measures. There has been a marked increase in the use of trade-related measures by RFMOs over the last decade. This has been driven by: the deteriorating status of many fish stocks; uncertainty as to the actual levels of fishing mortality on these stocks; and the undermining of conservation and management measures by illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Details: Cambride, UK: TRAFFIC International, 2007. 49p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 21, 2013 at: http://www.traffic.org/fisheries-reports/traffic_pub_fisheries1.pdf Year: 2007 Country: International URL: http://www.traffic.org/fisheries-reports/traffic_pub_fisheries1.pdf Shelf Number: 128061 Keywords: Illegal FishingWildlife ConservationWildlife CrimeWildlife Management |
Author: Environmental Justice Foundation Title: Lowering the Flag: Ending the Use of Flags of Convenience by Pirate Fishing Vessels Summary: Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) or ‘pirate’ fishing is plundering fish stocks, devastating marine environments and stealing from some of the poorest people of the world. IUU is the term given to any fishing activity that contravenes national or international laws, such as using banned fishing gears; targeting protected species; operating in protected or reserved areas or at times when fishing is prohibited; or operating without any form of permit or license to fish. IUU fishing vessels cut costs to maximise profits and use a variety of means, including Flags of Convenience to avoid detection and penalty for wrongdoing. • Globally, pirate fishing accounts for US$10 – 23.5 billion a year, representing between 11 and 26 million tons of fish. It is a highly profitable activity being driven by the enormous global demand for seafood, threatening the future of world fisheries. The impacts are social, economic, and environmental. Many IUU operators deliberately target poor developing countries. • While international law specifies that the country whose flag a vessel flies is responsible for controlling its activities, certain states operate ‘open registries’ that allow foreign-vessels to fly their flag for a relatively tiny fee. Known as Flags of Convenience (FoC), many of these countries lack the resources or the will to monitor and control vessels flying their flag, allowing pirate fishing operations to avoid fisheries regulations and controls. • FoC are notoriously easy, quick and cheap to acquire, obtainable over the internet for just a few hundred dollars. Vessels can re-flag and change names several times in a season, a practice known as “flag hopping”. Backed by shell companies, joint-ventures and hidden owners, FoC reduce the operating costs associated with legal fishing, and make it extremely difficult to identify and penalise the real owners of vessels that fish illegally. • Available data indicates that there are currently 1061 fishing vessels equal to or longer than 24 metres registered with FoC. Globally a further 8.5% of fishing vessels are listed as ‘flag unknown’, although it is likely that some of these are flying FoC. Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (RFMO) blacklists are dominated by vessels registered to FoC or flag unknown. While some RFMO whitelists of authorized vessels do contain a number flagged to FoC, total RFMO lists added together do not approach the total number of FoC fishing vessels - leaving open the question of how and where these vessels are operating. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY • As well as fishing vessels, refrigerated transport vessels (know as ‘reefers’) flying FoC have been widely implicated in IUU fishing operaons; in West African field investigations undertaken by EJF virtually all IUU reefers were documented flying FoC. Reefers allow IUU fishing vessels to tranship their catches, restock on food and bait, refuel and re-crew without having to make the lengthy (and costly) journey to port. 700 reefers are currently registered with FoC; Panama, Bahamas and Liberia account for 70%. Even those reefers whitelisted by RFMOs favour FoC; 86% of Fish Carriers on ICCAT lists are taking advantage of FoC registration • European Union(EU) and East Asian companies dominate the ownership of FoC vessels. Taiwanese, South Korean, Chinese and Japanese companies are significant, while overall EU ownership of fishing vessels flying FoC has increased by 9% since 2005. There has been a recent large shift in ownership of vessels flying FoC to Panamanian companies, however it is likely that many of these are shell companies registered in Panama by foreign, and hidden, beneficial owners. • Economically the benefits to FoC States of registering fishing vessels are minimal. Annual revenues are estimated to accrue US$3-4 million to the major FoC registries from flagging fishing vessels, a tiny amount when compared to the millions of dollars lost by individual countries and the billions lost globally to IUU fishing. • Among FoC States further economic losses are now likely as a result of trade sanctions by RFMOs, as well as the incoming EU-IUU regulation, due to be implemented in January 2010. This will target non-cooperative States, leaving FoC countries that depend on fisheries exports extremely vulnerable to losing access to the largest seafood market in the world. • In light of the current crisis facing global fisheries, failure to end the exploitation of FoC by IUU fishing operations will undermine efforts to achieve sustainable fisheries management, marine ecological security and the development of many, primarily developing, coastal States. Closing open registries to fishing vessels offers an efficient and cost-effective measure to combat IUU fishing. This report therefore calls for action to end the granting of Flags of Convenience to fishing vessels, and those vessels that support fishing activities, by individual States, RFMOs, and bodies such as the European Union, Commonwealth and United Nations. Details: London: Environmental Justice Foundation, 2009. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 21, 2013 at: http://www.illegal-fishing.info/uploads/Loweringtheflagfinal.pdf Year: 2009 Country: International URL: http://www.illegal-fishing.info/uploads/Loweringtheflagfinal.pdf Shelf Number: 128063 Keywords: Illegal FishingWildlife ConservationWildlife CrimeWildlife Management |
Author: Verité Title: Research on Indicators of Forced Labor in the Supply Chain of Fish in Indonesia: Platform (Jermal) Fishing, Small-Boat Anchovy Fishing, and Blast Fishing Summary: Verité carried out research on the presence of indicators of forced labor in the production of ten goods in seven countries from 2008 through 2011. Research was carried out on the production of shrimp in Bangladesh; Brazil-nuts, cattle, corn, and peanuts in Bolivia; sugar in the Dominican Republic; coffee in Guatemala; fish in Indonesia; rubber in Liberia; and tuna in the Philippines. The following report is based on research on the presence of indicators of forced labor in certain types of fishing in Indonesia. This research was not intended to determine the existence or scale of forced labor in the countries and sectors under study, but rather to identify the presence of indicators of forced labor and factors that increased workers‘ vulnerability to labor exploitation. Objectives The primary objectives of the project were to: obtain background information on certain areas of the fishing sector in Indonesia; create a methodology to study the presence of indicators of forced labor in some areas of the Indonesian fishing sector; identify and document indicators of forced labor among workers in the Indonesian fishing sector; document the broader working conditions that workers in the fishing sector experience; and determine the risk factors for vulnerability to forced labor and other forms of exploitation in the particular areas of the Indonesian fishing sector. Details: Amherst, MA: Verite, 2012(?). 136p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 22, 2013 at: http://www.verite.org/sites/default/files/images/Research%20on%20Indicators%20of%20Forced%20Labor%20in%20the%20Indonesian%20Fishing%20Sector__9.16.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Indonesia URL: http://www.verite.org/sites/default/files/images/Research%20on%20Indicators%20of%20Forced%20Labor%20in%20the%20Indonesian%20Fishing%20Sector__9.16.pdf Shelf Number: 128086 Keywords: Fishing Industry (Indonesia)Forced LaborIllegal FishingNatural ResourceWildlife ConservationWildlife Crimes |
Author: Verité Title: Research on Indicators of Forced Labor in the Supply Chain of Shrimp in Bangladesh Summary: Verité carried out research on the presence of indicators of forced labor in the production of goods in seven countries from 2008 through 2011. Research was carried out on the production of shrimp in Bangladesh; Brazil-nuts, cattle, corn, and peanuts in Bolivia; sugar in the Dominican Republic; coffee in Guatemala; fish in Indonesia; rubber in Liberia; and tuna in the Philippines. The following report is based on research on the presence of indicators of forced labor in the Bangladesh shrimp sector. This research was not intended to determine the existence or scale of forced labor in the countries and sectors under study, but rather to identify the presence of indicators of forced labor and factors that increased workers' vulnerability to labor exploitation. Context/Objectives -- Bangladesh is a country facing high levels of poverty, with approximately 50 percent of the population living below the international poverty line. The shrimp sector has been promoted as a needed source of development, and indeed, has provided income to many workers. At the same time previous research has tied the shrimp sector to labor, environmental, and human rights abuses. However, little of the previous research specifically explored indicators of forced labor. The primary objectives of the project were to: obtain background information on the shrimp sector in Bangladesh; create a methodology to study the presence of indicators of forced labor in the Bangladesh shrimp sector; identify and document indicators of forced labor among workers in the shrimp sector in Bangladesh; document the broader working conditions that workers in the shrimp sector experience; and determine the risk factors for indicators of forced labor and other forms of exploitation in the Bangladesh shrimp sector. Details: Amherst, MA: Verite, 2012(?). 134p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 22, 2013 at: http://www.verite.org/sites/default/files/images/Research%20on%20Indicators%20of%20Forced%20Labor%20in%20the%20Bangladesh%20Shrimp%20Sector__9.16.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Bangladesh URL: http://www.verite.org/sites/default/files/images/Research%20on%20Indicators%20of%20Forced%20Labor%20in%20the%20Bangladesh%20Shrimp%20Sector__9.16.pdf Shelf Number: 128087 Keywords: Forced LaborIllegal FishingNatural ResourcesShrimp Industry (Bangladesh)Wildlife CrimesWildlife Management |
Author: Environmental Justice Foundation Title: Illegal Driftnetting in the Mediterranean Summary: Driftnets, ostensibly banned from the Mediterranean by both the European Union and the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT) since 2002 and 2003, respectively, continue to be used illegally across the region to catch valuable large pelagic species, mainly swordfish and tuna. There are estimated to be up to 600 illegal driftnet vessels operating in the Mediterranean, including many from EU Member States, namely Italy (100+ vessels), and France (70-100 vessels). Major fleets are also based in Morocco (150-300 vessels), Turkey (up to 110 vessels) and Algeria. Although there is very little data available on either the catch rate or the associated bycatch of this illegal fishery, it is clear that driftnetting practices, whether legal or illegal, have had devastating environmental consequences globally, and for the biodiversity of the Mediterranean Sea in particular. Between 1986 and 1900, driftnets were responsible for 83% of all cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) stranded and, at the peak of driftnetting, an annual bycatch of over 8,000 cetaceans was estimated for Italian seas alone, with up to 10,000 dying annually across the whole Mediterranean. Vulnerable, slow reproducing species have suffered from high bycatch levels in driftnets, including sharks, rays, sea turtles and sea birds. According to figures supplied by the Italian Merchant Marine Ministry, in 1990-91 only 18% of the catch of the Italian driftnet fleet, which was the largest in the region at the time, was swordfish; the other 82% consisted of some different species, almost all of which were discarded. Despite the evident destructive nature of driftnets, also called ‘walls of death’, due to their propensity for catching enormous numbers of non-target species, a combination of weak enforcement and loopholes in French and Italian fisheries law have enabled sizeable driftnet fleets to flout EU and international law for more than a decade. The European authorities have openly acknowledged the Italian and French governments’ failure to enforce EU fisheries policy but have so far failed to punish these clear infractions of the Common Fisheries Policy. In France, effective action against driftnets has come not from the EU, but from three NGOs - France Nature Environnement, S.O.S Grand Bleu, and Groupe de Recherche sur les Cétacés (GREC) – who have successfully challenged the status of the “thonaille” fishery operating within the internationally protected Pelagos sanctuary for marine mammals. The thonaille is now officially recognised as a driftnet under French law and is therefore illegal. However, evidence from the 2006 season indicates that the ban is not being enforced and fishing continues with impunity. In Italy, driftnetting also continues, with 800km of nets confiscated by the Italian authorities in 2005 and 400km seized in the first half of 2006. The use of driftnets around the island of Ischia in the Tyrrhenian Sea has been monitored for a number of years by Delphis, a local cetacean research organisation. Illegally caught swordfish have been observed being landed and transferred onto vans bearing the EU logo, and numerous stranded striped dolphins and sperm whales have been found with scars indicative of being caught in driftnets. There is also compelling evidence from several sources that many vessel owners, having received up to €70,000 of EU taxpayers’ money as compensation, continue to fish illegally. The Italian authorities have spent more than €200 million compensating driftnet fishermen, with 75% of this coming from the EU. Despite the generous funding that has been allocated to phasing-out this destructive fishery, driftnets are actually getting bigger. Details: London: EJF, 25p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 23, 2013 at: http://www.theblackfish.org/files/Driftnets_EJF.pdf Year: 0 Country: Europe URL: http://www.theblackfish.org/files/Driftnets_EJF.pdf Shelf Number: 128098 Keywords: Illegal FishingWildlife ConservationWildlife Crime (Europe)Wildlife Law Enforcement |
Author: India. Ministry of Environment and Forests Title: Committee Constituted to Holistically Address the Issue of Poaching in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands: Report Summary: 1. Biodiversity of Andaman and Nicobar Islands: The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are very rich in biodiversity, harbouring unique endemic life forms. The islands have both rich terrestrial as well as marine ecosystems, such as mangroves, coral reefs and sea grass beds. The marine biodiversity includes marine mammals such as whales, dolphins, dugong; marine turtles; estuarine or salt water crocodile; fishes; prawns and lobsters; corals; sea shells including rare and endangered Trochus species and Giant Clam Shells and numerous other marine life forms including coelenterates and echinoderms etc. 2. Reasons for threat to biodiversity: Economically also, many of the above species are highly valuable and some of them such as sea cucumbers, sea-shells, sharks, marine turtles, salt water crocodiles etc. are under severe pressure of over exploitation from illegal foreign fishing boats and poachers. Historically, these species had been exploited by people from neighbouring countries, mainly due to the low protective cover and low priority accorded to conservation of the marine biodiversity in general by the enforcement agencies of the country. 3. Legal measures for protection of biodiversity in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands: Several legal measures have been in place for protection of the marine biodiversity of the region. The Regulation of Fishing by Foreign Vessels Act, 1981, Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 1991 (last amended in 2011), Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, etc. coupled with establishment of 9 National Parks and 96 Wildlife Sanctuaries for a more focused conservation initiative, have all strengthened the enforcement regime in the region. Besides, the Andaman and Nicobar Administration has also taken measures for protecting the flora and fauna of the islands. Some of these National Parks are exclusively for the protection of the marine species. These include Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, Rani Jhansi Marine National Park, etc. As on date, an area of 1619.786 sq. kms has been covered under the Protected Area network in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. 4. Management of biodiversity in Andaman and Nicobar Islands: Forest Department-The Wildlife Wing of the Andaman and Nicobar Administration, responsible for the protection of the biodiversity of the islands, is headed by the Chief Wildlife Warden, in the rank of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and has four divisions under his control. In addition to this, there are six territorial Divisions that carry out protection duties outside the designated Protected Area network. Coastal Police- Twenty Coastal Police Stations have also been established on the islands to upgrade regulatory and law enforcement regime in the coastal waters. The Coastal Police Stations are being equipped with latest infrastructural communication and patrolling equipments. Coast Guard: The Coast Guard has been assisting the Forest Department in apprehending the poachers in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) as well as along the coast. 5. Issues that require attention: (a) Issue of foreign poachers: Despite the concerted efforts by various departments and agencies, the very availability of rich marine resources attracts foreign poachers to Indian territorial waters. Although, the enforcement agencies routinely apprehend several foreign poachers, it is believed that a large number of them get away undetected. Most of the poachers are habitual offenders and had been in Indian prisons several times. It has been observed that the western part of the Andaman Islands was the most vulnerable to poaching and also that the volume of the poaching has considerably increased over the years inspite of the best efforts by the Administration to contain the problem. Further, it is also believed that the problem of foreign poachers in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has a long history, and there are a large number of ethnic people of Myanmar origin settled in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. These people are believed to be often conniving with the poachers. (b) Issue of Trochus and Sea cucumbers: It has been observed that although there was good population of Sea Cucumbers in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, there were contradicting reports of the status of the species as a whole in the country’s waters. Therefore, there is need for carrying out detailed scientific study on the population status of Sea Cucumbers. The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), who has the required wherewithal for carrying out such scientific studies, is being requested for undertaking the study. The report of ZSI would be dovetailed with this report, as soon as the same is received from ZSI. A similar study on Trochus niloticus, would also be taken up. (c) Issue of livelihood: The reduction in forestry operations has reduced the employment opportunities considerably for the local people of islands. It may be added that this sector was one of the biggest local employers for the last five decades. Subsequent ban on certain marine species after their inclusion in the Scheduled lists of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 has also adversely affected the livelihoods of the fishers community in the last decade. Strategy and measures suggested for improvement: In order to reach the desired goal, a three pronged strategy has been suggested which, inter alia, includes tightening and improving the protection regime for conservation of marine resources, taking care of the livelihoods of local fisher folk, both qualitatively and quantitatively so as to increase their stake in conservation of marine biodiversity, and to open a diplomatic channel with the Government of Myanmar to address the issue of ingress of its illegal fishers (poachers) into the waters and shores of A&N Islands with a view to finding a solution to this problem and stop the illegal practice jointly. The report concludes with a number of recommendations to address the various issues. Details: New Delhi: Ministry of Environment and Forests, 2011. 29p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 23, 2013 at: http://moef.nic.in/downloads/public-information/report-on-andaman-and-nicobar-islands-poaching-issue.pdf Year: 2011 Country: India URL: http://moef.nic.in/downloads/public-information/report-on-andaman-and-nicobar-islands-poaching-issue.pdf Shelf Number: 128105 Keywords: Animal PoachingBiodiversityForest ManagementIllegal FishingWildlife ConservationWildlife Crimes (India)Wildlife Management |
Author: Banks, Debbie Title: Environmental Crime: A threat to our future Summary: Since its inception in 1984 the Environmental Investigation Agency has been exposing environmental crime around the globe and has sought greater political support for strong enforcement action against these crimes. Yet despite the fact that environmental crime poses a growing threat, it remains a low priority for the international enforcement community. This report shows the scale and impacts of environmental crime and calls for strong political will to tackle it as a matter of urgency. Environmental crimes can be broadly defined as illegal acts which directly harm the environment. They include: illegal trade in wildlife; smuggling of ozonedepleting substances (ODS); illicit trade in hazardous waste; illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing; and illegal logging and the associated trade in stolen timber. Perceived as ‘victimless’ and low on the priority list, such crimes often fail to prompt the required response from governments and the enforcement community. In reality, the impacts affect all of society. For example, illegal logging contributes to deforestation. It deprives forest communities of vital livelihoods, causes ecological problems like flooding, and is a major contributor to climate change – up to one-fifth of greenhouse gas emissions stem from deforestation. Illicit trade in ODS like the refrigerant chemicals chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), contributes to a thinning ozone layer, which causes human health problems like skin cancer and cataracts. Environmental crime generates tens of billions of dollars in profits for criminal enterprises every year, and it is growing. In part, this is due to the proliferation of international and regional environmental agreements, leading to more controls on a range of commodities. It is also due to mutations in the operations of criminal syndicates, which have been diversifying their operations into new areas like counterfeiting and environmental crime. Environmental crimes by their very nature are trans-boundary and involve cross-border criminal syndicates. A tiger skin or an ivory tusk passes through many hands from the poaching site to the final buyer. A tree felled illegally can travel around the world from the forest via the factory to be sold on the market as a finished wood product. In the era of global free trade, the ease of communication and movement of goods and money facilitate the operations of groups involved in environmental crime. The development of statutory enforcement agencies has struggled to keep pace with such change, and issues such as jurisdiction restrict efforts to foster better cross-border cooperation against crimes like illegal logging. These factors lead to a situation where environmental crimes offer high profits and minimal risk. It is time for the international community to wake-up to the menace of environmental crime and show the necessary political will to tackle the criminal gangs plundering our planet for a quick profit. Details: London: Environmental Investigation Agency, 2008. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 9, 2013 at: http://www.unodc.org/documents/NGO/EIA_Ecocrime_report_0908_final_draft_low.pdf Year: 2008 Country: International URL: http://www.unodc.org/documents/NGO/EIA_Ecocrime_report_0908_final_draft_low.pdf Shelf Number: 128333 Keywords: Environmental CrimesHazardous WastesIllegal FishingIllegal LoggingOffenses Against the EnvironmentWildlife Crimes |
Author: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Title: Model Scheme on Port State Measures to Combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing Summary: This document contains the text of the Model Scheme on Port State Measures to Combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing. An FAO Expert Consultation to Review Port State Measures to Combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing was convened in 2002 with a view to facilitating the implementation of the 2001 FAO International Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing. The Consultation focused its work on a paper entitled “Port State Control of Foreign Fishing Vessels”. Inter alia, it discussed elements that could be included in a regional memorandum of understanding (MOU) on port State measures to combat IUU fishing. The Consultation acknowledged that such a MOU could serve as an effective tool to enhance responsible fisheries management. Subsequently, in 2004, a FAO Technical Consultation to Review Port State Measures to Combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing was held. It was convened on the recommendation of the 2003 FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI). The Consultation addressed (i) substantive issues relating to the role of the port State in combating IUU fishing and (ii) principles and guidelines for the establishment of regional memoranda on port States measures. The Consultation approved a Model Scheme on Port State Measures to Combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing. COFI in 2005, in endorsing the report and recommendations of the 2004 Technical Consultation, agreed that follow-up work to the Consultation should be undertaken, especially with respect to operationalizing the Model Scheme. The Governments of Japan, Norway, Sweden and the United States of America contributed financially through the FAO FishCode Programme to the preparatory activities leading to the development and publication of the Model Scheme. Details: Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2007. 59p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 22, 2013 at: ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/010/a0985t/a0985t00.pdf Year: 2007 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 128774 Keywords: Fishing IndustryIllegal FishingMaritime CrimesWildlife Crimes |
Author: Stiles, Margot L. Title: Stolen Seafood: The Impact of Pirate Fishing on Our Oceans Summary: Pirate fishing may be understood best by standing on the beach and gazing out to sea. Almost all crime at sea takes place beyond the horizon line, hidden from view. This vast wilderness is exploited not only for fish, but as a hiding place for criminal activities. Stolen fish are caught illegally, evading a wide range of safeguards to undercut the costs of doing business. Blatant violation of catch limits, gear restrictions and safety precautions are frequently carried out by a small fraction of fishermen, undermining the efforts of responsible fishing companies. The resulting damage to marine resources can lead to smaller catches, slowed recovery of depleted stocks or even collapse for the most vulnerable fisheries. Pirate, or illegal, fishing is often lumped together with unregulated and unreported fishing under the abbreviation “IUU.” Unregulated fishing takes place in nations that lack the resources to establish fisheries laws or monitoring. Some unreported fishing stems from a lack of scientific data collection, while other unreported catches conceal illegal activity. These three dimensions of illegal fishing are a major threat to the oceans, consumers and seafood businesses around the world. Details: Washington, DC: Oceana, 2013. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 25, 2013 at: http://oceana.org/sites/default/files/reports/Oceana_StolenSeafood.pdf Year: 2013 Country: International URL: http://oceana.org/sites/default/files/reports/Oceana_StolenSeafood.pdf Shelf Number: 128825 Keywords: Fishing IndustryIllegal FishingMaritime CrimeNatural ResourcesPirate FishingWildlife Crimes |
Author: Mundy-Taylor Title: Into the Deep: Implementing CITES Measures for Commercially-Valuable Sharks and Manta Rays Summary: Over the past twenty years, the conservation and management of sharks has been the subject of much attention and discussion among Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). During this period, a significant amount of research and information has been generated on this issue within CITES processes, with Parties also having adopted a number of recommendations for action in the form of CITES Resolutions and Decisions, and proposals for listing of various shark species (Basking Shark Cetorhinus maximus, the Whale Shark Rhincodon typus, the Great White Shark Carcharodon carcharias and Sawfish Pristidae spp.) in the CITES Appendices. A summary of CITES processes related to shark conservation and management, from 1994 to present, is provided in Appendix A. At the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP16) held in Bangkok, Thailand, in March 2013, four new proposals to list a number of commercially important marine species in Appendix II of CITES were adopted as follows: Oceanic Whitetip shark Carcharhinus longimanus Porbeagle Lamna nasus Scalloped Hammerhead shark Sphyrna lewini, Great Hammerhead shark Sphyrna mokarran, and Smooth Hammerhead shark Sphyrna zygaena (hereafter referred to collectively as “Hammerheads”)1 Manta rays Manta spp. The entry into effect of the above listings has been delayed by 18 months to 14 September 2014, to enable Parties to resolve related technical and administrative issues. At CoP16, the European Union (EU) announced that it was providing funding through the CITES Secretariat to support capacity building for the implementation of the CITES listings of commercially-valuable marine species, with a focus on developing Parties. In order to ensure the effective allocation of these funds, the European Commission requested that TRAFFIC carry out a rapid assessment of capacity building priorities and needs. Consequently, the aim of this Report was to compile and collate readily available information on: (i) the main Parties likely to be affected by the listings; (ii) international, regional and domestic regulations and measures that may be mutually supportive of, and complementary to, the listings; (iii) the main challenges expected in relation to implementation of the listings; and (iv) any existing or planned capacity building initiatives and tools available to support the listings, in addition to potential gaps and needs. The Report is composed of the following four main Parts: I. Key exporters, re-exporters and consumers of the shark and ray species listed in the CITES Appendices at CoP16 II. International, regional and domestic policies, regulations and measures relevant to CITES implementation III. Implementation of the CITES CoP16 shark and ray listings: challenges, available resources and capacity building initiatives IV. Overview of key gaps in capacity and priorities for future work Additional/supporting information is provided in Appendices A to P. Details: Cambridge, UK: TRAFFIC, 2013. 116p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 2, 2013 at: www.traffic.org Year: 2013 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 129506 Keywords: CITESIllegal FishingManta RaysSharksWildlife ConservationWildlife Crime |
Author: Anyimadu, Adjoa Title: Maritime Security in the Gulf of Guinea: Lessons Learned from the Indian Ocean Summary: As rates of piracy emanating from Somalia's coast fall, international attention is shifting towards insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea - the waters off Africa's west coast. Maritime crimes including oil-bunkering, drug-trafficking and illegal fishing are of economic and security concern to the wider international community as well as to local states. There are a number of critical differences between maritime insecurity off Africa's east and west coasts, but the Gulf of Guinea's littoral states and stakeholders further afield can draw valuable lessons from the experience of combating Somali piracy to help shape their responses to West Africa's maritime threats. Early action by policy-makers - regionally and further afield - could do much to ensure that criminality does not evolve and increase to an unmanageable extent. Those who commit illegal acts at sea are highly adaptable, increasingly sophisticated in their methods and often well informed, and so local, regional and global efforts must be flexible and proactive. Timing is especially important, as a number of West African states will go to the polls in 2015, presenting an unprecedented challenge to the region's security and stability and risking maritime security slipping down the agenda. Details: London: Chatham House, 2013. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Africa 2013/02: Accessed August 23, 2014 at: http://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/files/chathamhouse/public/Research/Africa/0713pp_maritimesecurity_0.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Guinea URL: http://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/files/chathamhouse/public/Research/Africa/0713pp_maritimesecurity_0.pdf Shelf Number: 129892 Keywords: Drug TraffickingIllegal FishingMaritime Crime (Guinea)Maritime SecurityPiracy |
Author: Schbley, Ghassan Title: Piracy, Illegal Fishing, and Maritime Insecurity in Somalia, Kenya, and Tanzania Summary: Long coastlines, porous borders, a lack of government capacity, weak enforcement mechanisms, corruption, and other factors have enabled illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing to thrive in Somalia's waters. The same factors have allowed other transnational threats to develop in Somalia-and spread further south into Kenya and Tanzania. This study, which draws on extensive field research along the East African littoral, identifies and analyzes linkages between piracy and IUU fishing. In addition, the report examines the role of the maritime sector in facilitating the illegal movement of drugs, weapons, and people through the region. This study also highlights the role of small vessels in a system that transports terrorists from al-Shabaab, al-Qaeda's East Africa affiliate, to and from Somalia. Details: Arlington, VA: CNA Analysis & Solutions, 2013. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 12, 2014 at: http://www.cna.org/sites/default/files/research/IIM-2013-U-005731-Final3.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Africa URL: http://www.cna.org/sites/default/files/research/IIM-2013-U-005731-Final3.pdf Shelf Number: 133298 Keywords: Border SecurityIllegal FishingMaritime CrimeMaritime SecurityPirates/Piracy (Africa)Wildlife Crimes |
Author: Lutchman, Indrani Title: An Independent Review of the EU Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Regulations Summary: Illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing refers to fishing activities that do not comply with national, regional, or international fisheries conservation or management legislation or measures (Agnew & Barnes, 2004). IUU fishing is complex and affects many stakeholders from the individual artisanal fisher in national waters, to fishing fleets in Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) and the High Seas, to fish processor and fisheries managers in developed and developing countries. Illegal fishing occurs in every ocean in the world, resulting in the loss of individual jobs and income, depletion of existing fish stocks, damage to the marine environment, and loss of state revenue (Doulman, 2000). It affects activities both at sea and onshore, such as shipment, transportation, landing, importation and exportation, sale, and distribution of fish products (Gallic, 2008). IUU fishing also has the potential to reduce the amount of fish available to subsistence fishers and communities who rely on fish as their staple diet. For example in Sierra Leone, fish provides approximately 65% of the protein source consumed by the under-nourished population. Thus people's livelihoods and food security may be seriously threatened by the possibility of losing access to this food source as result of IUU fishing (Environmental Justice Foundation, n.d.). Details: London: Institute for European Environmental Policy, 2012. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 1, 2014 at: http://www.oakfnd.org/sites/default/files/IEEP_Independent%20Review%20of%20the%20EU%20IUU%20Regulations.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Europe URL: http://www.oakfnd.org/sites/default/files/IEEP_Independent%20Review%20of%20the%20EU%20IUU%20Regulations.pdf Shelf Number: 133520 Keywords: Crime Against the EnvironmentFishing Industry (Europe)Illegal FishingWildlife Crime |
Author: Burnett, Mark Title: Illegal Fishing in Arctic Waters: Catch of Today - Gone Tomorrow? Summary: Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing is a global concern, costing nations upwards of $10 billion (US$15.5 billion) annually. Few places are of such great concern as the Arctic, home to some of the most outstanding marine ecosystems and most productive fisheries in the world. Indeed, between them the Barents Sea cod fishery and the Russian Far Eastern pollock fishery alone account for between 20 and 25% of the global catch of whitefish. Recent years have seen significant progress in reducing - though by no means eliminating - IUU fishing in the Barents Sea. A new WWF report, Illegal Fishing in Arctic Waters, finds, however, that it remains a concern in the western Bering Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk in the Russian Far East. Moreover, globalization of the fishing industry has resulted not only in new markets and new governance structures, but also in new challenges and obstacles to combating the truly international criminal activity that IUU fishing has become. Details: Oslo: World Wildlife Fund International Arctic Programme, 2008. 52p. Source: Internet Resource: accessed February 3, 2015 at: http://d2ouvy59p0dg6k.cloudfront.net/downloads/iuu_report_version_1_3_30apr08.pdf Year: 2008 Country: International URL: http://d2ouvy59p0dg6k.cloudfront.net/downloads/iuu_report_version_1_3_30apr08.pdf Shelf Number: 134523 Keywords: Fishing IndustryIllegal FishingMaritime CrimeNatural ResourcesWildlife Crimes |
Author: Bondaroff, Teale N. Phelps Title: The Illegal Fishing and Organized Crime Nexus: Illegal Fishing as Transnational Organized Crime Summary: More than 90% of the world's fisheries are currently fully or over-exploited. A 2008 study estimated that the annual global illicit fishing catch was between 11 - 26 million tonnes, equal to more than 1,800 pounds of wild-caught fish stolen from the oceans every second. Despite this, illicit fishing is treated predominantly as a regulatory issue, a matter of different actors violating regulations, perhaps opportunistically or out of ignorance. However, as this report, "The Illegal Fishing and Organized Crime Nexus," commissioned jointly by the Global Initiative with The Black Fish, a Netherlands-based international organisation working to end illegal overfishing, now proves, illicit fishing practices are increasingly taking the form of a highly organized transnational crime. Rather than fishers accidentally violating regulations, this evidence-based account documents systematic and highly coordinated efforts to violate fishing laws and regulations around the world, putting the stability of marine ecosystems in serious jeopardy. We see how illicit fishers enable their activities through the violation of labour and environmental standards, corruption, bribery and violence. Case studies presented in the report also reveal an even darker side to illicit fishing - connected to human trafficking, illegal drug smuggling, serious violence and murder. It demonstrates the engagement of known mafia groups and criminal networks that profit from the practice. Despite this evidence, illicit fishing continues to be treated as a regulatory issue instead of as a form of transnational crime, and as such this practice is able to flourish with minimal enforcement or penalties. The report concludes that urgent and multilateral action is to be initiated to halt the growing multi-billion dollar illegal fish market. Recommendations advocate for the importance of urgently strengthening international regulations regarding shipping and vessels, creating domestic legislation designed to treat IUU fishing as a crime; dramatically increasing the punishments of offenders and significant enhancement of monitoring and enforcement are additional recommendations. Details: Geneva, SWIT: Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime, 2015. 84p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 25, 2015 at: http://www.globalinitiative.net/download/global-initiative/GI%20Black%20Fish%20-%20Illegal%20Fishing%20and%20Organized%20Crime%20Nexus%20-%20April%202015.pdf Year: 2015 Country: International URL: http://www.globalinitiative.net/download/global-initiative/GI%20Black%20Fish%20-%20Illegal%20Fishing%20and%20Organized%20Crime%20Nexus%20-%20April%202015.pdf Shelf Number: 135390 Keywords: Illegal FishingMaritime CrimeOffenses Against the EnvironmentOrganized CrimeWildlife Crimes |
Author: Standing, Andre Title: Corruption and state-corporate crime in fisheries Summary: This U4 Issue paper describes corruption in the fisheries sector through the lens of state-corporate crime. It presents a case study from Senegal where Russian, European and Asian fishing firms, supported by their home governments, gained access to overfished stocks that are vital to local food security and the artisanal fishing sector. The discussion draws on further evidence from other countries and elaborates on the main observations from Senegal about the nature and implications of state-corporate crime in fisheries, including the role of corruption. The paper considers the policy implications for the international fight against corruption and illegal fishing, and argues that existing approaches based on law enforcement is insufficient. International efforts to address fisheries crime will require political reforms, including advancing democratic governance and human rights, Details: Bergen, NO: Anti-Corruption Resource Centre, Chr. Michelsen Institute, 2015. 25p. Source: Internet Resource: U4 Issue 2015:15: Accessed July 15, 2015 at: http://www.u4.no/publications/corruption-and-state-corporate-crime-in-fisheries/ Year: 2015 Country: Senegal URL: http://www.u4.no/publications/corruption-and-state-corporate-crime-in-fisheries/ Shelf Number: 136039 Keywords: Corruption Fishing Industry Illegal FishingWildlife Crime |
Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Title: Somali Prison Survey Report: Piracy Motivations & Deterrents Summary: The joint survey of UNODC and OBP finds that: - Poor economic conditions were reported as the major reason for engaging in piracy, and long-term solutions to piracy should address this. - Prisoners report being very impacted by prison, and express a strong desire to avoid future prison time. - International navies, more than any other counter-piracy activity, were listed as the primary deterrent. Armed guards aboard ships were also frequently listed. - A substantial number of prisoners rejected the term pirate or piracy, maintaining that they were fishermen who were not guilty of piracy. - For those pirates who knew someone who left piracy, the dominant reason was family or community pressure. - The illegal fishing narrative remains a rationalization for piracy. Details: Vienna: UNODC, 2015. 9p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 24, 2015 at: https://www.unodc.org/documents/Piracy/SomaliPrisonSurveyReport.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Somalia URL: https://www.unodc.org/documents/Piracy/SomaliPrisonSurveyReport.pdf Shelf Number: 136866 Keywords: Illegal FishingMaritime CrimePiracy/Pirates |
Author: Environmental Investigation Agency Title: Dual Extinction: The Illegal Trade in the Endangered Totoaba and its Impact on the Critically Endangered Vaquita Summary: The vaquita and the totoaba have much in common: both are critically endangered, both are protected from international trade under CITES and both are endemic to a relatively small area of the Upper Gulf of California, Mexico. They are of a similar size, have a similar lifespan and both species are threatened with extinction by the same activity - illegal fishing. The vaquita is a small porpoise found only in the waters of the northern Gulf of California, off the coast of Mexico. In 1997, its population was estimated at 567 but by 2014 it had plummeted to just 97 animals due to fishery bycatch. Recent evidence based on acoustic monitoring suggests a 42 per cent decline in the vaquita population between 2013-14. This decline is attributed to the resurgence of an illegal fishery for totoaba, the swim bladders of which are highly sought in Hong Kong and southern mainland China. Dubbed 'aquatic cocaine' due to the high prices it fetches, the demand for dried totoaba swim bladders is threatening not just the totoaba but also the vaquita - the world's most endangered marine mammal, which is accidentally caught in the illegal nets set for totoaba. Details: London: Washington, DC: EIA, 2016. 11p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 1, 2016 at: https://drive.google.com/viewerng/viewer?url=https://eia-international.org/wp-content/uploads/EIA-Dual-Extinction.pdf Year: 2016 Country: International URL: Shelf Number: 137714 Keywords: Endangered SpeciesIllegal FishingIllegal Wildlife TradePorpoiseWildlife Crime |
Author: Stop Illegal Fishing Title: Record of The First International Symposium on FishCRIME: 12th to 13th October 2015 Summary: On 12-13 October 2015, Cape Town, South Africa nearly 200 delegates from 31 countries participated in the inaugural International Symposium on FishCRIME. The growing realization that illegal fishing is only one aspect of the highly organised, well-financed transnational criminal activities taking place in oceans and seas around the world is leading to new ways of approaching and tackling fisheries crime. Intercepting criminal networks and prosecuting those in charge necessitates cooperation, both domestically and transnationally, between fisheries experts and the police, judiciary, customs, tax, port, security and labour authorities to gather and share information and intelligence and bring the criminals to book. The Symposium was organized by Stop Illegal Fishing and was a joint initiative with South Africas Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries SIF and PescaDOLUS. Details: Gaborone, Botswana: Stop Illegal Fishing, 2016. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed march 9, 2016 at: http://fishcrime.info/assets/FishCRIME2015Record.pdf Year: 2016 Country: International URL: http://fishcrime.info/assets/FishCRIME2015Record.pdf Shelf Number: 138152 Keywords: Illegal FishingWildlife Crime |
Author: McKinnel, Tim Title: Made in Taiwan: Government Failure and Illegal, Abusive and Criminal Fisheries Summary: Illegality and criminal wrongdoing in Taiwanese fisheries are increasingly well documented. Yet too often these very serious problems are reported and dealt with by Taiwanese authorities as if they were isolated incidents - the responsibility of individual unscrupulous operators, reckless captains or poorly disciplined foreign crews. This approach serves the Taiwanese Fisheries Agency and the Taiwanese government well. Responsibility remains in the hands of individual wrongdoers. It is also entirely wrong. Pulling together a series of case studies into a single report yields a very different picture. The reality is a global Taiwanese fishing fleet operating almost entirely out of control, in which some of the most serious crimes, including murder, appalling labour abuses, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and serious environmental impacts, are endemic and routine. This is not a failure of individual operators, but a failure of Taiwan's authorities at the highest level. Taiwan's fishing fleets supply tuna and other seafood that reaches markets around the world. The issues we highlight in this report are relevant and will be of great interest to consumers in Europe, the US, Japan and many other countries. These consumers demand higher standards than Taiwan can currently provide. Without urgent action to systematically address these problems, Taiwan risks jeopardising its fishing industry and, as importantly, its wider international trading reputation by becoming associated with tuna and seafood caught at terrible human and environmental expense. No one wants to see the demise of Taiwan's fishing fleets but it is clear that a wake-up call is needed for the Taiwanese Fisheries Agency. The threat of European sanctions for IUU looms large - there is a need for far-reaching and sustained action to avoid this. That process of change can only start with an admission: we have a problem that we need to fix. Details: Amsterdam: Greenpeace, 2016. 35p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 16, 2016 at: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/Global/international/publications/oceans/2016/Taiwan-Tuna-Rpt-2016.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Taiwan URL: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/Global/international/publications/oceans/2016/Taiwan-Tuna-Rpt-2016.pdf Shelf Number: 138698 Keywords: Fishing IndustryIllegal FishingWildlife Crime |
Author: Rosero, Oswaldo R. Title: An Analysis of the Law Enforcement Chain in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape Summary: The Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape is located at the far eastern edge of the tropical Pacific Ocean, to the south of Costa Rica and Panama, and to the west of Colombia and mainland Ecuador. The Seascape is naturally demarcated by the convergence of three tectonic plates. The region extends to the west as far as the Cocos Ridge, a long submarine mountain chain running from Costa Rica in the north, to the Galapagos Islands over 1,500 km to the southwest. Another chain, the Carnegie Ridge, which runs for 1,000 km, from the Galapagos Islands to the coast of Ecuador, denotes its southern limits. Within these limits lies the Panama Bight, with depths greater than 4,000 meters. Marine currents in this region are complex, moving water from the Central American coast towards the Eastern Tropical Pacific, where it flows slowly to the west to join the North Equatorial Current. Another current affecting the region is the North Equatorial Countercurrent, which brings surface water to the east. The regional waters are warm (maximum temperatures of 28 degrees Fahrenheit), but in some areas the temperature can drop to 25 degrees Celsius during periods of upwelling. This Seascape boasts diverse endemic marine and terrestrial species, and displays a high degree of ecological connectivity. It possesses complex ecological relationships due to the dynamic convergence of marine currents that affect the migration and distribution of many species. The islands in the region are home to the most extensive coral reefs in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, and some of these coral species are endemic to the region. The Seascape is a migratory destination for several threatened and endangered species including the blue whale, humpback whale, and the leatherback turtle. Due to its biological productivity, the Eastern Tropical Pacific is of key importance for tuna fisheries (yellowfin, skipjack and bigeye). The region is vulnerable to degradation as a result of the following human activities: - Illegal fishing. - Overexploitation of coastal marine resources. - Inadequately regulated tourism growth. - Risk of pollution from commercial vessels (marine transport). - Habitat loss and degradation. - Introduction of exotic species. The region is periodically subjected to extreme climatic events (El Nino - Southern Oscillation), which have negative impacts on resident and migratory species (but sometimes provide new opportunities). In recognition of its high level of biodiversity, biological productivity and the ecological value of many sites in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape, each one of its four constituent nations has established marine protected areas (MPAs) within their respective waters. - In 1978, Costa Rice declared Cocos Island a National Park with 24 km2 of terrestrial area and 1,974 km2 of marine area. - In Panama, Coiba National Park, with a terrestrial area of 537 km2 and a marine area of 2,165 km2, has existed in its current form since 2004. - Colombia has two marine protected areas in the Pacific: the Malpelo Flora and Fauna Sanctuary and the Gorgona Natural National Park, designated in 1995 and 1993 respectively. Malpelo includes 3.5 km2 of terrestrial habitat and 8,572 km2 of marine area, whereas Gorgona includes 16 km2 of terrestrial habitat and 598 km2 of marine area. - The Galapagos Marine Reserve, which covers an area approximately 133,000 km2, is the largest marine protected area in the region. The origin of the Galapagos Marine Reserve is the Special Law for the Conservation and Sustainable Development of the Province of Galapagos of 1998. It extends 40 nautical miles from a baseline around the farthest points of the Galapagos Archipelago In recognition of their great ecological value, their value as endangered species habitats, and for their natural beauty, four of the five MPAs (with the exception of Gorgona) have been designated as UNESCO World Natural Heritage Sites. UNESCO first recognized Cocos Island National Park in 1997, then the Galapagos Marine Reserve in 2001, Coiba National Park in 2005, and Malpelo Flora and Fauna Sanctuary in 2006. All these islands and their surrounding ocean share certain features - their isolation from the mainland, their endemic species, and their relatively pristine state of protection and conservation. In 2004, the governments of Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador and Colombia signed an agreement to create the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor (CMAR). The main objective of this agreement is the conservation and sustainable development of the 211 million hectare region which contains the aforementioned MPAs. The CMAR initiative is supported by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), UNESCO, Conservation International (CI), the IUCN among others. With over 80 NGOs, research organizations, local community groups, and representatives from the private sector particpating, CI's Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape (ETPS) initiative has promoted regional cooperation for the training, education and conservation of marine resources. Study Objectives The main objective of this study is to identify and evaluate the critical factors required for effective law enforcement in each MPA of the Seascape. The specific objectives are: 1. To determine the main strengths and weaknesses of the law enforcement chain in each MPA. 2. To prioritize a series of recommendations to improve the enforcement chain in each MPA. 3. To identify regional initiatives to strengthen cooperation between member states; in particular regarding the conservation of migratory species. Details: San Francisco, CA: WildAid, 2010. 80p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 20, 2016 at: http://wildaid.org/sites/default/files/resources/Law%20Enforcement%20Chain%20ETPS_0.pdf Year: 2010 Country: South America URL: http://wildaid.org/sites/default/files/resources/Law%20Enforcement%20Chain%20ETPS_0.pdf Shelf Number: 138709 Keywords: FishingIllegal FishingWildlife ConservationWildlife CrimeWildlife Law Enforcement |
Author: Columbia, Richard H. Title: H.R. 69 The Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Enforcement Act of 2013. A Comprehensive first-year implementation strategy for H.R.69 Summary: Earlier this year the U.S. government was forced to subsidize the commercial fishing industry in New England by $33 million, after the region's cod stocks fell to their lowest numbers in forty years. In November of 2014, the government proceeded to halt cod fishing in New England entirely for six months. At first glance, it may be difficult to perceive how the situation could get so out of hand; cod fishing is an important industry in the region and New England annually enacts new fisheries legislation to protect the valuable fish stocks. However, these regulations have proven inadequate in addressing one of New England's (and the world's) most serious issues: illegal fishing. It is estimated that roughly 24 percent of New England cod is harvested illegally, which amounts to revenue to illegal fishers of roughly $13 million. Such a high profit potential, coupled with a distinct lack of regulations enforcement by agencies like the Coast Guard has made the lure of fishing illegally more desirable than following the rules for many fishers all over the world, and the prevalence of illegal fishing has had many consequences. Not only are fish stocks dwindling and effecting global food security and the food chain, but without being able to accurately count the amount of fish caught, policymakers cannot regulate the fishing industry sustainably. Without stepping up enforcement and coordinating policies, illegal fishing will continue to ravage the fishing industry. Illegal fishing often occurs in conjunction with unreported and unregulated fishing, and together these three exploitations continue to drive unsustainable fishing practices, costing the world between $10 and $23 billion annually.1 In the U.S., the Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Enforcement Act of 2013, known formally as H.R.69, has been proposed as a solution to fight illegal fishing in U.S. waters. This Act intends to streamline enforcement mechanisms to more effectively prevent illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing as well as increase enforcement and compliance with U.S. and international fishery regulations. The following report presents a program design and first year implementation plan for H.R.69 that will successfully deter IUU fishing in the U.S. The key forces that drive IUU fishing are financial gain and the relative ease of fishing undetected. This program targets these drivers directly by removing the financial incentive to fish illegally as well as increasing tracking and monitoring of fishing vessels. By increasing fines and penalties for IUU violations and equipping all commercial fishing vessels with satellite tracking systems, the program ensures that other U.S. fisheries do not suffer the same fate as New England's cod. In its first year, the program focuses on adding new staff resources to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) using the "20/20" plan. This plan is designed to achieve a long-term goal of decreasing illegal fishing by 20 percent through increasing investigations and enforcement personnel by 20 percent. These additions in staff significantly shape the program budget, which totals a net of about $39 million. To put this in perspective, illegal fishing cost the U.S. $46 million in lost revenue and subsidies in New England alone in 2014, making illegal fishing enforcement a financially sound choice to maintaining the status quo. Together with the program design, an ongoing program evaluation system has been developed to measure success and incorporate necessary changes, creating feedback loop. This feedback loop provides performance measurement information throughout the year, allowing NOAA and the USCG to know quickly if they're on track toward their year-end 20 percent goal, and thus to make changes if necessary. A crucial aspect of the program is the collaborative relationship between NOAA and the USCG, which will ensure that implementation of H.R. 69 uses tracking and monitoring data in combination with increased investigations to establish targeted enforcement mechanisms that deter IUU fishing. In doing so, the program will not only dissuade IUU fishing, but also guarantee continuous improvements for U.S. fisheries-ultimately creating a sustainable fishing industry. But before delving into the specifics of the program design and first year implementation process, it's important to have a full, contextual understanding of illegal fishing and its global impacts. Details: New York: Columbia University, School of International and Public Affairs, 2014. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 19, 2016 at: http://mpaenvironment.ei.columbia.edu/files/2015/01/Final-Report-H.R.-69.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://mpaenvironment.ei.columbia.edu/files/2015/01/Final-Report-H.R.-69.pdf Shelf Number: 139105 Keywords: FisheriesFishing IndustryIllegal FishingWildlife CrimeWildlife Law Enforcement |
Author: Bergenas, Johan Title: Secure Oceans: Collaborative Policy and Technology Recommendations for the World's Largest Crime Scene Summary: Later this year, the United States Secretary of State, John Kerry, will welcome leaders from all around the world to a conference focused on the security of our oceans. High on the agenda is safeguarding marine protected areas (MPA) and addressing the growing threat posed by illegal fishing. The Stimson Center has a long track record of identifying policy and capacity building solutions for issues that have serious implications for our environment, global economic development and U.S. and global security. In the last few years, Stimson has researched and analyzed oceans as the world's largest crime scene and identified a wide range of policy opportunities to increase ocean security, particularly focused on combating illegal fishing. We have also examined the role of technology as a tool to keep our oceans safe. Today is World Oceans Day and in anticipation of the Our Ocean Conference taking place in September, we are releasing a first set of public policy and technology recommendations. This brief report is a snapshot of a broader and evolving body of work aimed at safeguarding our oceans and combating a wide range of natural resource crimes and challenges. Details: Washington, DC: The Stimson Center, 2016. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 28, 2016 at: https://www.stimson.org/sites/default/files/file-attachments/Secure-Oceans.pdf Year: 2016 Country: International URL: https://www.stimson.org/sites/default/files/file-attachments/Secure-Oceans.pdf Shelf Number: 139439 Keywords: Illegal FishingMaritime CrimeWildlife Crime |
Author: Daniels, Alfonso Title: Western Africa's missing fish: The impacts of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and under-reporting catches by foreign fleets Summary: Overfishing in the world's oceans is at the centre of a crisis of sustainability. Nowhere is that crisis more visible than in western Africa. Current rates of extraction are driving several species towards extinction while jeopardising the livelihoods of artisanal fishing communities across a broad group of countries, including Senegal, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Mauritania. Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is at the heart of the problem. Drawing on a unique satellite tracking database, this report presents new evidence of the scale and pattern of IUU fishing. It focuses on 'reefers' - large-scale commercial vessels receiving and freezing fish at sea and at port - and the use of containers. We provide evidence of practices that compromise the effectiveness of multilateral governance rules aimed at curtailing IUU fishing and promoting sustainable, legal practices. Proposals set out in the report identify pathways for countries in sub-Saharan Africa to greater transparency and sustainable management of fisheries which avoids the irreversible depletion and possible extinction of species, as well as the preservation of the marine ecosystem where the fishing activities take place for countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Details: London: Overseas Development Institute, 2016. 45p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 11, 2016 at: https://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/resource-documents/10665.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Africa URL: https://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/resource-documents/10665.pdf Shelf Number: 139591 Keywords: Fishing IndustryIllegal FishingMaritime CrimeOffenses Against the Environment Wildlife Crime |
Author: von Kistowski, Kristin Title: Port State Performance: Putting Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing on the Radar Summary: Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is notorious for undermining efforts to manage fisheries sustainably and has detrimental environmental, social and economic consequences. Pew's Port State Performance research focuses on the role that port States play in abating IUU fishing by assessing how effectively they are implementing port State measures. As the situation stands, the system of port State measures lacks transparency, accountability and global reach, and is thus failing to close loopholes exploited by IUU operators and to keep IUU fish out of ports (flothmann et al. 2010). Without effective management of fish stocks, the outlook for global fisheries is bleak. Unscrupulous owners and operators of fishing vessels around the world continue to undermine fisheries management by disregarding regulations designed to conserve the marine environment. Just the unlawful aspects, namely illegal and unreported fishing, account for catches equivalent to approximately one-fifth of the global reported fish catch. In response to the consistent failure of many flag States to control IUU vessels on the high seas, the international community initiated an additional approach to tackling IUU fishing: port State measures. By adopting restrictive measures in ports where IUU catch is landed, port States can prevent IUU fish from entering international trade and finding their way into key markets. accordingly, national, regional and global initiatives have been focusing over the past decade on the adoption and implementation of increasingly stringent port State measures to combat IUU fishing. this has culminated in the negotiation of the agreement on Port State measures to Prevent, Deter and eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing (PSMA), which was approved by the United nations food and agriculture organization (FAO) in November 2009. Once the PSMA enters into force, it will be the first legally binding international treaty designed solely to combat IUU fishing. The Pew Environment Group has undertaken the first comprehensive evaluation of the effectiveness of current port State measures and the implementation challenges that port States face. The study also assesses the central role that regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs) play in the process. The research focuses on port State measures directed specifically at vessels on the IUU vessel lists adopted by RFMOs - vessels that have been found to engage in or support IUU fishing. Imposing sanctions on these vessels at port aims at rendering their operations less profitable and lucrative. This study reviews the IUU vessel lists of the following eight RFMO: (1) Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), (2) Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), (3) International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), (4) Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), (5) Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (NAFO), (6) North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC), (7) South East Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (SEAFO), and (8) Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). The research consolidates six years of data on the movement of 178 IUU-listed vessels, tracking their port visits globally from January 2004 to December 2009. a single list of IUU vessels was compiled by combining the eight RFMOs' IUU vessel lists and supplemented with additional vessel identification information. Movement data on these IUU-listed vessels was obtained from commercial databases maintained by Lloyd's register - Fairplay (Sea-web), Lloyd's Marine Intelligence Unit (MIU) and shipspotting.com. This data set was supplemented with information from port logs, national fisheries authorities and RFMO secretariats. Details: Philadelphia: Pew Charitable Trusts, 2010. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 5, 2016 at: http://www.pewtrusts.org/~/media/post-launch-images/2015/04/2015_april_pew_port-state-performance--putting-iuu-on-radar(1).pdf Year: 2010 Country: International URL: http://www.pewtrusts.org/~/media/post-launch-images/2015/04/2015_april_pew_port-state-performance--putting-iuu-on-radar(1).pdf Shelf Number: 130028 Keywords: Illegal FishingUnregulated FishingWildlife Crimes |
Author: U.S. Presidential Task Force on combating IUU Fishing and Seafood Fraud Title: Presidential Task Force on Combating IUU Fishing and Seafood Fraud: Action Plan for Implementing the Task Force Recommendations Summary: On June 17, 2014, the White House released a Presidential Memorandum entitled "Establishing a Comprehensive Framework to Combat Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing and Seafood Fraud." Among other actions, the Memorandum established a Presidential Task Force on Combating Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing and Seafood Fraud (Task Force), co-chaired by the Departments of Commerce and State with 12 other federal agency members. The Task Force was directed to report to the President within 180 days with "recommendations for the implementation of a comprehensive framework of integrated programs to combat IUU fishing and seafood fraud that emphasizes areas of greatest need." Those recommendations were provided to the President through National Ocean Council and published in the Federal Register on December 18, 2014. The 15 recommendations are broad in scope and call on agencies to take concrete and specific actions to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and seafood fraud throughout the seafood supply chain. By circumventing conservation and management measures and engaging in fraudulent practices, entities engaging in IUU fishing and seafood fraud undermine the sustainability of U.S. and global fish stocks and negatively impact general ecosystem health. At the same time, IUU and fraudulent seafood products distort legal markets and unfairly compete with the catch and seafood products of lawabiding fishers and seafood industries. The actions to address these issues fall under four general themes: 1) combating IUU fishing and seafood fraud at the international level; 2) strengthening enforcement and enhancing enforcement tools; 3) creating and expanding partnerships with non-federal entities to identify and eliminate seafood fraud and the sale of IUU seafood products in U.S. commerce; and 4) increasing information available on seafood products through additional traceability requirements. Each of these components is inter-related and complementary such that information and action developed under one supports the others. For example, these actions include establishing an integrated program that traces the path of seafood products from harvest or production to entry into U.S. commerce. This traceability program will feed enhanced information streams into improved enforcement targeting of illegal or fraudulent seafood products through newly integrated risk assessment and enforcement strategies. Similarly, the actions include efforts to improve the international governance of seafood harvest and trade that will complement our domestic efforts. Further, federal agencies are called upon to work with Congress to ensure that officials have the range of authorities necessary to identify and keep IUU seafood and fraudulent seafood products out of U.S. commerce. Details: Washington, DC: The Task Force, 2016. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 2, 2016 at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ia/iuu/noaa_taskforce_report_final.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ia/iuu/noaa_taskforce_report_final.pdf Shelf Number: 140120 Keywords: Consumer FraudFishing IndustryIllegal FishingPort SecurityUnregulated Fishing |
Author: World Wildlife Fund Title: Illegal Fishing: Which fish species are at highest risk from illegal and unreported fishing? Summary: New analysis by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) finds that over 85 percent of global fish stocks can be considered at significant risk of Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. This evaluation is based on the most recent comprehensive estimates of IUU fishing and includes the worlds' major commercial stocks or species groups, such as all those that are regularly assessed by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Based on WWF's findings, the majority of the stocks, 54 percent, are categorized as at high risk of IUU, with an additional 32 perent judged to be at moderate risk. Of the 567 stocks that were assessed, the findings show that 485 stocks fall into these two categories. More than half of the world's most overexploited stocks are at the highest risk of IUU fishing. Examining IUU risk by location, the WWF analysis shows that in more than one-third of the world's ocean basins as designated by the FAO, all of these stocks were at high or moderate risk of IUU fishing. The U.S. imports more than 100 different wild-caught species, which represent more than 400 diverse wild-caught products. In October 2015, the U.S. National Ocean Council (NOC) Working Group on IUU Fishing and Seafood Fraud released a list of species it identified as "at risk" of IUU fishing. While there is some alignment between the species the NOC identified as "at risk" of IUU fishing and the species identified in this study, the WWF analysis demonstrates that IUU fishing is pervasive across species and regions. An effective solution to ending IUU imports into the United States must ultimately address all species entering the U.S. market. Details: Washington, DC: WWF, 2015. 95p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 3, 2016 at: http://assets.worldwildlife.org/publications/834/files/original/Fish_Species_at_Highest_Risk_from_IUU_Fishing_WWF_FINAL.pdf?1446130921 Year: 2015 Country: International URL: http://assets.worldwildlife.org/publications/834/files/original/Fish_Species_at_Highest_Risk_from_IUU_Fishing_WWF_FINAL.pdf?1446130921 Shelf Number: 140136 Keywords: Fishing IndustryIllegal FishingMaritime Crime Unregulated FishingWildlife Crimes |
Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Title: Transnational Organized Crime in the Pacific: A Threat Assessment Summary: This report presents major threats posed by transnational organized crime in the Pacific region, mainly focusing on the Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs). Based on consultations with the Pacific Island Forum Secretariat (PIFS) and information obtained from desk reviews conducted by UNODC, this report focuses on four major types of transnational organized crime affecting the Pacific region: - Drug and precursor trafficking; - Trafficking in persons & smuggling of migrants; - Environmental crimes (fishery crime and other wildlife trafficking & illegal logging and timber trafficking); and - Small arms trafficking. In addition to the major four types of transnational crime, the report also includes some information on the trafficking of counterfeit goods, including fraudulent medicines, and cybercrime to shed light on emerging threats in the region. The four major illicit flows discussed in the report are different sorts of illicit activities, yet they all pose immense challenges to the region. There are strong indications that the PICTs are increasingly targeted by transnational organized crime groups due to their susceptibility to illicit flows driven by several factors. These include (a) the geographical location of the PICTs situated between major sources and destinations of illicit commodities; (b) extensive and porous jurisdictional boundaries; and (c) differences in governance and heterogeneity in general law enforcement capacity across numerous PICTs and the region in general. These complexities also underscore the inherent difficulties in detecting, monitoring, preventing and responding to transnational organized crimes in the region. In this context, transnational criminal activities continue to increase throughout the Pacific and have detrimental impacts on communities, sustainable economic development and regional security. At a regional level and across all transnational organized crime types discussed in this report, a fundamental problem is the significant gaps in data and information related to transnational crime among the PICTs. This is a major hindrance in developing effective and evidence-based responses to transnational organized crime. Details: Bangkok: UNODC, 2016. 130p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 30, 2016 at: http://www.unodc.org/documents/southeastasiaandpacific/Publications/2016/2016.09.16_TOCTA_Pacific_web.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Asia URL: http://www.unodc.org/documents/southeastasiaandpacific/Publications/2016/2016.09.16_TOCTA_Pacific_web.pdf Shelf Number: 140518 Keywords: Counterfeit GoodsDrug TraffickingEnvironmental CrimesHuman SmugglingHuman TraffickingIllegal FishingIllegal LoggingOrganized CrimeWildlife CrimeWildlife Trafficking |
Author: Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) Title: Slavery at Sea: The Continued Plight of Trafficked Migrants in Thailand's Fishing Industry Summary: In the last two years, nothing has changed on the issue of human trafficking in fisheries... It just stays the same. Nothing new, no improvements – because the problems are still there. Kyaw Lin Oo, interpreter for victims of human trafficking Thailand is the third largest seafood exporter in the world, • with seafood exports valued at $7.3 billion in 2011. The European Union imported more than $1.15 billion (€835.5 million) worth of seafood from Thailand in 2012, while the value of imports by the United States exceeded $1.6 billion in 2013. The Thai fishing industry remains heavily reliant on -- trafficked and forced labour. It is clear that rising overheads, exacerbated by the need to spend more time at sea for smaller catches due to over-fishing and chronic mismanagement of the fishery will continue to encourage these abuses. As boat operators have looked to cut costs, working -- conditions and wages have suffered, causing many workers to turn away from the industry and forcing some employers to rely on criminal trafficking networks to meet the labour shortfall. NGOs, international organisations, governments and -- industry have identified the Thai seafood sector as an area of high concern for forced and trafficked labour. Thailand has spent four consecutive years on the Tier 2 "Watchlist" of the US Department of State's Trafficking in Persons report and now faces a mandatory downgrade to Tier 3 in 2014 if the major issues are not adequately addressed. To address a series of criticisms made by observers, -- Thailand's Ministry of Social Development and Human Security (MSDHS) released the 2013 National Action Plan to Prevent and Suppress Human Trafficking (NAP). The document itself is broad in scope and undermined by vague objectives. EJF investigations have revealed evidence that the Thai Government is falling far short of critical commitments made in the action plan. Investigations in 2014 document the continued prevalence -- of trafficking in the Thai fishing industry, with operators now taking greater precaution to avoid detection, including transhipping trafficked workers at sea. Corruption remains a major obstacle to efforts to -- combat human trafficking in Thailand. EJF investigations uncovered evidence of continued police collusion in the trafficking and exploitation of migrant workers aboard Thai fishing boats. Further, EJF's investigations reveal that local officials often provide protection and even assistance to unscrupulous brokers and business owners engaged in the trafficking and abuse of migrant workers. The case of the 14 men rescued from a port in Kantang -- first reported in EJF's 2013 "Sold to the Sea report" reveals serious structural failings in how Thai authorities deal with human trafficking victims and cases more generally. After nearly a year in a Government shelter and little progress on their case, the victims told EJF in 2014 that they are frustrated and now more focused on returning home than pursuing their case. Without determined action at the highest levels of -- Government to identify and successfully prosecute criminals, corrupt officials and unscrupulous business operators, alongside the introduction and enforcement of comprehensive measures to regulate Thailand's fishing fleets and recruitment practices, violence, exploitation and slavery will remain an ongoing feature of Thailand's seafood industry. Details: London: EJF, 2014. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 9, 2016 at: https://ejfoundation.org/sites/default/files/public/EJF_Slavery-at-Sea_report_2014_web-ok.pdf Year: 2014 Country: Thailand URL: https://ejfoundation.org/sites/default/files/public/EJF_Slavery-at-Sea_report_2014_web-ok.pdf Shelf Number: 145617 Keywords: Fishing IndustryForced LaborHuman TraffickingIllegal FishingMigrant LaborWildlife Crime |
Author: Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) Title: Thailand's Seafood Slaves: Human Trafficking, Slavery and Murder in Kantang's Fishing Industry Summary: -- Human trafficking and slavery are global problems. It is estimated that as many as 35.8 million men, women and children are currently victims of human trafficking around the world. -- Thailand is the 30th largest economy in the world with a GDP of US$404 billion. -- The Thai seafood industry employs more than 800,000 people, while seafood exports are valued at $6 billion. -- A growing number of independent reports over the past decade have documented abuses of workers trafficked on to Thai fishing vessels, including bonded, forced and slave labour and the use of extreme violence. One report by the United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking (UNIAP) found that 59% of trafficked migrants interviewed aboard Thai fishing vessels reported witnessing the murder of a fellow worker. -- Thailand's fish stocks and marine biodiversity are in crisis. The Thai fishing industry has undergone decades of over- fishing and astonishingly poor fisheries management. Rapid industrialisation during the 20 th Century has resulted in too many vessels using destructive and unsustainable fishing methods to catch too many fish. The overall catch per unit effort (CPUE) in both the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea has plummeted by more than 86% since 1966, making Thai waters among the most over-fished regions on the planet. -- The pressure on Thailand's over-exploited fish stocks has been and continues to be due in large part to the demand for animal feeds and farmed shrimp. The fishmeal industry has masked the true economic and ecological costs of over- fishing by over-valuing the trash fish which constitutes one of its key raw materials. -- The lack of an adequate fisheries management regime and effective enforcement along with extensive corruption have facilitated overfishing in Thailand, which has generated economic pressures that fuel the ongoing, widespread use of slave labour. -- Exhausted fish stocks mean that vessels are staying at sea longer and going further afield, often fishing illegally in other nations’ territorial waters, to bring in diminishing catches. In turn operators are using human trafficking networks and bonded, forced and slave labour to crew their vessels and depress costs. This largely export-focused industry is able to carry on providing cheap products to western markets as a direct result of these human rights abuses. Consumers in the west are eating product contaminated with slavery, 'pirate' fishing, corruption and criminality. Details: London: EJF, 2015. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 9, 2016 at: http://ejfoundation.org/sites/default/files/public/EJF-Thailand-Seafood-Slaves-low-res.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Thailand URL: http://ejfoundation.org/sites/default/files/public/EJF-Thailand-Seafood-Slaves-low-res.pdf Shelf Number: 145618 Keywords: Fishing IndustryForced laborHomicidesHuman TraffickingIllegal FishingOverfishingWildlife Crime |
Author: Travers, Henry Title: Taking action against wildlife crime in Uganda Summary: In recent years, wildlife crime has come under increasing international scrutiny. A multitude of policy responses has emphasised strengthening law enforcement in order to protect wildlife. In contrast, developing community-based responses to wildlife crime has been given very little attention. The immediate threat escalating wildlife crime poses has been used as a justification, but this one-sided approach risks missing opportunities: both to find long-term solutions by addressing the underlying drivers of crime, and also to alleviate the disproportionate impact living close to conservation areas has on local livelihoods. This report presents the key findings and outputs of the 'Building capacity for pro-poor responses to wildlife crime in Uganda' project, a collaborative initiative aiming to: 1. Understand the current state of wildlife crime in Uganda, and investigate the underlying drivers of this crime 2. Investigate the preferences of local people and conservation staff for different types of interventions aimed at addressing wildlife crime, and assess the likely impact of these interventions on local people's attitudes and behaviour, and 3. Develop new or improved approaches to increase the capacity of the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) to tackle wildlife crime more efficiently and effectively. To understand the current state and drivers of wildlife crime, we started by conducting a review of existing evidence (from journal articles, press coverage and so on), to get a picture of the overall situation within Uganda. We then conducted a large scale socioeconomic household survey in villages bordering Uganda's two largest protected areas, Queen Elizabeth Protected Area (QEPA) and Murchison Falls Protected Area (MFPA). The survey showed that involvement in wildlife crime was widespread. Indirect questioning estimated that 42 per cent of interviewed households had been involved in illegal hunting, and 29 per cent in illegal fishing or grazing of livestock inside one of the two parks. Households most likely to be involved in wildlife crime included those that were better off, those that reported crop raiding or livestock predation by wildlife, and those that reported no benefit from the parks' revenue-sharing schemes. At both parks, activities put in place to combat wildlife crime focus heavily on law enforcement, with ranger patrols receiving a significant proportion of annual budgets. However, interviews with known hunters cast doubt on patrols' effectiveness, suggesting only one or two in a thousand illegal incursions resulted in an arrest. Households told us that patrols did not deter hunters from entering the parks. UWA does run activities to address some of the drivers of wildlife crime - such as human-wildlife conflict mitigation and livelihood support. However, these types of interventions receive far less support than would be required to influence prevalent wildlife crime. Our study investigated a number of alternative approaches to combating wildlife crime using two empirical predictive methods: choice experiments and scenario-based interviews. Both methods allow participants to pick the types of interventions that would be most likely to deter them from wildlife crime. The interventions explored were: - Improved mitigation of human-wildlife conflict - Appointment of local wildlife scouts - Establishment of, and support for, 'wildlife-friendly' enterprises - Increased ranger patrols - Removal of resource access arrangements (around each park, UWA allows for a limited number of certified individuals to access certain resources at certain times of the year) - Regulated hunting. Local people preferred different interventions at the two parks. At QEPA, people preferred increased funding for activities that reduce human-wildlife conflict, whereas people living around MFPA preferred support for creating 'wildlife-friendly' enterprises (ie small enterprises that do not damage wildlife conservation). At both parks there was support for appointing 'wildlife scouts from the community to respond to human-wildlife conflict. When UWA staff were consulted separately and asked which interventions they thought would be most effective, their priorities aligned strongly with the local communities - although they also emphasised continued and improved law enforcement. As well as potentially being more effective, local people thought the three community-focused interventions (wildlife-friendly enterprises, wildlife scouts and human-wildlife conflict mitigation) were fairer than the enforcement-focused approach to tackling wildlife crime. These interventions were also predicted to increase the time local people spend on legal livelihood activities and make them more likely to inform UWA about illegal activities. The findings suggest that greater support for community engagement is likely to significantly improve UWA's ability to combat wildlife crime. The project team then worked with UWA staff at each of the two parks to develop park-specific strategic action plans to combat wildlife crime. The aims were to prioritise addressing offences with the greatest impact on wildlife, identify where these wildlife crimes are most prevalent (and the communities involved), and specify the actions required to combat these offences. Details: London: International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), 2017. 77p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 2, 2017 at: http://pubs.iied.org/pdfs/17604IIED.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Uganda URL: http://pubs.iied.org/pdfs/17604IIED.pdf Shelf Number: 145236 Keywords: Illegal FishingIllegal HuntingWildlife ConservationWildlife CrimeWildlife Protection |
Author: De Greef, Kimon Title: The booming illegal abalone fishery in Hangberg: Tough lessons for small-scale fisheries governance in South Africa Summary: Marine capture fisheries around the world are widely perceived to be in a state of crisis, with growing recognition that conventional resource-centred management strategies are insufficient to counter ongoing problems of over-exploitation. This is considered particularly true in the small‐scale sector, which employs the overwhelming majority of the world's fishers but has historically been overlooked. To manage marine resources more sustainably, new approaches to fisheries governance have been sought that recognise the complex nature of fisheries systems, paying attention to the social dimensions of fisheries management in addition to important ecological processes. In South Africa, many of these new approaches have been embraced in a recently adopted policy for the small-scale sector. Attempts to reform marine fisheries have been ongoing in the country since the end of apartheid (a system of legalised racial segregation and white supremacy that ruled for almost 50 years) but have largely failed to bring meaningful change to impoverished fishing communities. Frustration at ineffective reform has contributed to widespread non-compliance - most notably in the abalone fishery, which has collapsed in the face of rampant poaching, driven by a lucrative, illegal export market to the Far East. Although the new small-scale fisheries (SSF) policy has been hailed as a progressive shift in thinking, questions remain about how it is to be implemented. One major challenge will be dealing with illegal fishing. The purpose of this study, was to profile the human dimensions of abalone poaching in the Cape Town fishing community of Hangberg and to draw lessons for implementing the new SSF policy. A qualitative multi-method research approach, based mainly on unstructured interviews and participant observation, was used to access the clandestine fishery and investigate its historical development, current structure, scale and methods of operation and main socio-economic drivers and impacts. It was found that abalone poaching has become deeply embedded in Hangberg, having evolved into a highly organized boat-based fishery in a period of less than 15 years. At least five local poaching groups - representing some 250 individuals in total - currently used dedicated high-powered vessels to access reefs around the Cape Peninsula. Profits earned from poaching are substantial but vary, with poachers operating according to a loose hierarchy and performing a range of different tasks in the fishery. This variation notwithstanding, the illegal fishery appears to have become a mainstay of the impoverished local economy, funding poachers' expensive lifestyles, in addition to contributing more meaningfully to the livelihoods of an estimated 1000 residents. Details: Cape Town: University of Cape Town, 2013. 117p Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed May 6, 2017 at: https://open.uct.ac.za/handle/11427/9187 Year: 2013 Country: South Africa URL: https://open.uct.ac.za/handle/11427/9187 Shelf Number: 145344 Keywords: AbaloneAnimal PoachingEndangered SpeciesIllegal Fishing Illegal TradeOrganized CrimeOverfishingWildlife Crimes (South Africa) |
Author: International Organization for Migration Title: Report on Human Trafficking, Forced Labour and Fisheries Crime in the Indonesian Fishing Industry Summary: In 2015 the mass rescue of foreign fishers trafficked for labour exploitation on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing vessels in Benjina and Ambon highlighted the lack of adequate policing of the fishing industry and a lack of scrutiny of working conditions on vessels and in fish processing plants. The case highlighted the expansive nature of this transnational criminal venture. Victims were recruited from numerous countries and forced to work illegally within Indonesia. National laws and regulations were breached and international conventions ignored. Front companies were established and illegally caught fish transshipped in the Indonesian EEZ and boundary areas, thus preventing interception by the Indonesian authorities. Ultimately the catch entered the global supply chain and was handled by legitimate suppliers of fish, unaware of its provenance and the human toll behind the catch. The situation in Benjina and Ambon is symptomatic of a much broader and insidious trade in people, not only in the Indonesian and Thai fishing industries, but indeed globally. This research provides a glimpse into a far-reaching and well-entrenched criminal industry operating alongside the legitimate fishing industry, and often overlapping. The situation represents the spread of transnational organized crime at sea and the threat it poses as a maritime security threat to nations, and a human security threat to fishers, seafarers and fishing communities. Human Trafficking and Forced Labour in Indonesia fishing industry is characterized by: - systematic and highly organized deceptive recruitment and exploitation of fishers and seafarers from multiple source countries in South East Asia; witness testimony of murder and the unlawful disposal of corpses; - extreme cases of labour exploitation with fishers working in excess of 20 hours per day up to 7 days per week; and - a lack of awareness at the local level of human trafficking and forced labour and associated criminal activity. IUU fishing in Indonesia is characterized by: - overlapping Indonesian government legislation and regulations has created confusion over the responsibilities of key government bodies responsible for the oversight of worker recruitment, conditions, and monitoring of fishing companies, manning agencies, and fishing vessels; - collaboration of more than 2 people: double-flagged vessels are registered in two different countries. This act of forging the deletion certificate is done by at least the ship-owner, the backers and field actors; - suspected commission of serious criminal offences: illegal fishers violate numerous laws, from deactivating the transmitter, using prohibited and destructive fishing gear, illegal transshipment, forging vessel documents and the logbook; - foreign masters working illegally for indefinite periods of time: although there has been a national law prohibiting the use of foreign crews, there are still lots of foreign fishing masters working on board vessels undertaking lengthy voyages. This shows that there is considerable planning to conduct the crime; - the pursuit of profit and/or power: the very reason for fisheries crime is to gain more profit and financial benefits with the least minimum effort in regards to compliance and exploiting the corruptible tendencies of some high level authorities and politicians; - operating at an international level: illegal fishers operate in multiple countries, fish in various areas, fly flags of convenience and land their catch directly to another State, and sell the fish in the international market at high cost; and - using commercial or businesslike structures: most illegal fishing operations are managed using large companies, often established with foreign investment, have valid licences, yet they are violating laws and evading taxes. - That port authorities record the movements of vessels, particularly foreign affiliated vessels; - That port officials fisheries investigators be trained in identifying indicators of human trafficking , forced labour and IUU fishing; - Minimise overlapping regulation / authority between Government agencies; - That all deaths on board fishing vessels or in port are investigated and an autopsy performed; - That Flag States take more responsibility for the actions of IUU Fishing vessels flying under their flags; - Efforts to establish a global vessel record (registry) are supported; - Support increased inspections and accessibility to fishing vessels and remote fish processing plants; - Support an increased role for investigators (navy, marine police and fisheries) to conduct inspections of fishing vessels for evidence of trafficking and IUU fishing; - Conduct human rights due diligence and human rights audits on fishing companies before issuing licences; - Establish centres for fishers and seafarers at ports (centre for fishers to report abuse, injuries, deaths and seek protection); - Support multi-agency inspections and investigations at ports; - Introduce a multi traceability policy to prevent human rights violations and reduce IUU fishing; and - Increase and consumer awareness of human trafficking in the fishing industry. Details: Geneva, SWIT: IOM, 2016. 148p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 26, 2017 at: https://www.iom.int/sites/default/files/country/docs/indonesia/Human-Trafficking-Forced-Labour-and-Fisheries-Crime-in-the-Indonesian-Fishing-Industry-IOM.pdf Year: 2016 Country: Indonesia URL: https://www.iom.int/sites/default/files/country/docs/indonesia/Human-Trafficking-Forced-Labour-and-Fisheries-Crime-in-the-Indonesian-Fishing-Industry-IOM.pdf Shelf Number: 145805 Keywords: Fishing IndustryForced LaborHuman Rights AbusesHuman TraffickingIllegal FishingMaritime CrimeModern SlaveryPort Security |
Author: Standing, Andre Title: Criminality in Africa's Fishing Industry: A Threat to Human Security Summary: - The illegal exploitation of African fisheries by foreign fishing companies deprives African governments of a highly valuable source of revenue and contributes to Africa being the only region in the world where rates of fish consumption are declining. - African countries must substantially upgrade their capacity to monitor and prosecute illegal fishing in African waters. - Weak accountability of the African fisheries sector enables the ongoing and unsustainable exploitation of this resource. Collusive relationships with foreign fishing companies often serve the financial interests of government officials responsible for overseeing the fisheries sector. - Leading fishing nations must step up regulation of unethical practices by their fishing vessels in order to support fair trading practices and avoid the imminent collapse of African fish stocks. Details: Washington, DC: Africa Center for Strategic Studies, 2017. 12p. Source: Internet Resource: Africa Security Brief, No. 33: Accessed June 17, 2017 at: http://africacenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/ASB33EN-Criminality-in-Africas-Fishing-Industry-A-Threat-to-Human-Security.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Africa URL: http://africacenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/ASB33EN-Criminality-in-Africas-Fishing-Industry-A-Threat-to-Human-Security.pdf Shelf Number: 146221 Keywords: Fishing Industry Illegal FishingWildlife Crime |
Author: Haenlein, Cathy Title: Below the Surface: How Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing Threatens our Security Summary: Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is conventionally treated by governments worldwide as the result of technical regulatory infringements. As such, it is often deemed a matter for industry regulators and dismissed as a trivial issue insofar as it relates to national security. This diagnosis is flawed. Certainly, IUU fishing is often small in scale and conducted by artisanal fishers out of ignorance of laws, or opportunism. Yet there is also evidence that much of today's IUU fishing activity takes place on an organised, systematic scale across multiple jurisdictions. Testament to this are the volumes involved. Although numerous difficulties affect such calculations, global losses to IUU fishing have been estimated at some $10-23.5 billion annually - equivalent to 11-26 million tonnes of fish per year. The result is the plunder of the world's oceans, threatening not only marine ecosystems, but also the security of human populations. Large-scale IUU fishing endangers food security, threatens livelihoods, undermines the rule of law and deprives states of revenues. It also intersects with other crimes, further amplifying the threat to security. Yet research on these security dimensions is limited and fragmented; our understanding of their dynamics remains partial. Policy and practical responses, meanwhile, remain ill-suited, failing to keep pace with the complexity of the threat posed. Recommendations This paper makes the following recommendations for governments, NGOs and international agencies looking to address the security dimensions of large-scale IUU fishing: 1. Recognise large-scale IUU fishing as transnational organised crime. There is a critical need for policymakers and practitioners to treat high-volume IUU fishing as more than a fisheries management problem. Large-scale IUU fishing is transnational organised crime and must be recognised and treated as such. A paradigm shift is needed in the way we view and respond to the phenomenon, to ensure that responses are commensurate with the scale, complexity and diversity of the threat faced. 2. Recognise large-scale IUU fishing as 'convergence crime'. Awareness that large-scale IUU fishing commonly occurs in conjunction with other crime types must increase. Policymakers must adapt to a more sophisticated operating reality, with front line investigators trained to recognise not just IUU fishing, but also crimes such as human trafficking and corruption. Broader responses must draw on expertise associated with all crime types involved, in an integrated, multi-agency approach. 3. Strengthen domestic legislation. States must strengthen fisheries legislation and harmonise all other relevant laws, such that penalties and the likelihood of their application create real deterrence. Domestic criminalisation must meet the criteria - a four-year minimum custodial sentence - for large-scale IUU fishing to qualify as serious crime under the UN Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC). 4. Strengthen international responses. International-level reform is required to ensure that IUU fishing is recognised under UNTOC, conferring binding obligations on 179 states to cooperate on law enforcement action. Global bodies must also clarify roles and responsibilities, address overlapping mandates and deepen cooperative arrangements. 5. Strengthen monitoring and enforcement. Capacity building to interdict those engaged in large-scale IUU fishing and associated crimes must be provided. To further facilitate monitoring and enforcement, vessels above a certain size and/or operating beyond the jurisdiction of flag states must be required to have International Maritime Organization numbers - as must their owners. 6. Bolster information sharing. Overlaps between IUU fishing and other crimes challenge the common separation of national fisheries management and policing agencies. Flexibility is needed to match perpetrators' shifting portfolios, as is stronger collaboration between coast guards, customs, immigration, anti-narcotics, fisheries management and financial crime agencies, as well as international organisations. 7. Expand regional approaches and partnerships. Promising initiatives already underway must be more fully resourced and prioritised. Innovative regional and multisectoral approaches, such as FISH-i Africa, should be expanded, scaled up and replicated as models in other, particularly financially constrained, locations. 8. Bolster efforts to prevent fish laundering. More states must be persuaded to ratify the Food and Agriculture Organization's Agreement on Port State Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate IUU Fishing, to ensure that no port is used as a shelter for non-compliance. Implementation of the Agreement must also be supported through sustained capacity building in developing coastal and small-island states. 9. Expand multilateral initiatives. In light of its organised and poly-threat nature, the priority assigned to large-scale IUU fishing under multilateral maritime security initiatives should increase. Defence and security-focused programmes that prioritise maritime security but exclude IUU fishing should be expanded to include it. 10. Follow the money. Financial investigation tools should be used to reveal ownership information, uncover money laundering and tax fraud, and make strategic arrests of the true beneficiaries of high-volume IUU fishing. To enable this, legislative reform in many jurisdictions to provide for IUU fishing as a predicate offence to money laundering is crucial. 11. Prosecute under alternative legislation. Crime convergence provides options to arrest and prosecute perpetrators using laws other than those relating to fisheries. For example, prosecution of large-scale IUU operators under economic crimes legislation may increase the prospects for imposing substantial penalties where associated crimes carry weightier sentences. 12. End use of flags of convenience. To bolster enforcement, the exploitation of flags of convenience must be ended. This could be achieved by encouraging flag-of-convenience states to close registries, by requiring coastal states not to issue licences to flag-of-convenience vessels, and by pursuing action by regional fisheries management organisations and international bodies. Details: London: Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI), 2017. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Occasional Papers: Accessed July 29, 2017 at: https://rusi.org/sites/default/files/201707_rusi_below_the_surface_haenlein.pdf Year: 2017 Country: International URL: https://rusi.org/sites/default/files/201707_rusi_below_the_surface_haenlein.pdf Shelf Number: 146595 Keywords: Fishing IndustryIllegal FishingOrganized CrimeUnregulated FishingWildlife Crimes |
Author: Stop Illegal Fishing Title: FISH-i Africa: Our future Summary: A new report from Stop Illegal Fishing takes a look at the work of the FISH-i Africa Task Force, FISH-i Africa: Our future focuses attention on the actions and cooperation that are still needed to tackle illegal fishing in the Western Indian Ocean. Sandy Davies, Stop Illegal Fishing commented "The scale and extent of illegal activity in the Western Indian Ocean has come as a real surprise to all of those involved in FISH-i Africa. We started out with the traditional expectation that most operators set out to comply with rules, or opportunistically took advantage of gaps and loopholes. But what the FISH-i investigations and analysis have shown is that in fact there are a significant number of operators who set out, deliberately and systematically to act illegally. They do this through falsifying information, forging documents, hiding company information behind secretive shelf companies and flags of non-compliance. Even when caught red handed it is difficult for coastal States to exercise effective sanctions and penalties as vessels routinely abscond from authorities, change name and change flag." FISH-i Africa plans to counter these systematic illegalities with a systematic programme of 'VIGILANCE' which will verify and cross-check the documentation and characteristics of all the vessels licensed to or flagged by the FISH-i members. "This is a significant undertaking involving around 500 vessels and a lot of work, but we believe this is the most effective means we have to end illegal fishing in this region." Davies added, "We've had a strong response already to VIGILANCE and will be looking to work with a range of organisations and funding partners." 'FISH-i Africa: Our future' sets out a real agenda for change; looking at the roles and responsibilities that port, flag, coastal and market States can play. Nicholas Ntheketha, Chair of FISH-i states, "FISH-i has been a big success and has achieved real cooperation with tangible results, but as we look forward we see the need to develop this cooperation further, we need to incorporate greater contact and communication with key port and flag States and we need to make sure that we have strong cooperation with all the relevant authorities at the national level." Stop Illegal Fishing Chairperson Elsa da Gloria Patria welcomed the publication, "FISH-i Africa and the VIGILANCE programme offer a great opportunity to clean up the illegal activity that is taking place in the fisheries sector. Our countries and our people rely on the ocean for their livelihoods and their development we need to make sure that our resources are protected and our blue economies get a chance to thrive." Details: Gaborone, Botswana: Stop Illegal Fishing, 2017. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 28, 2017 at: https://www.fish-i-africa.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/FISH-i_Africa_Our_future_WEB.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Africa URL: https://www.fish-i-africa.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/FISH-i_Africa_Our_future_WEB.pdf Shelf Number: 147489 Keywords: Fishing IndustryIllegal FishingOffenses Against the EnvironmentUnregulated FishingWildlife Crime |
Author: Lau, Wilson Title: An assessment of South African dried abalone Haliotis midae consumption and trade in Hong Kong Summary: The report, "An assessment of South African dried abalone Haliotis midae consumption and trade in Hong Kong," produced by TRAFFIC as part of the USAID-funded Wildlife TRAPS Project, shows that South African abalone imports to Hong Kong have increased in recent years, despite severe restrictions on wild harvest. It estimates that of South African abalone imports to Hong Kong in 2015, 65% was illegally sourced and trafficked compared to the 35% that was legally wild-caught or produced through aquaculture operations. In the past decade, efforts to protect the legal abalone fishery have been undermined by international underground criminal networks. After South Africa took a number of regulatory measures in 2007 and 2008 to protect crashing abalone populations, the new report reveals that illicit trade routes shifted. Instead of mainly exporting poached abalone directly to Hong Kong, traffickers increasingly smuggled abalone to nearby African countries, such as Mozambique and Zimbabwe, before re-exporting the product. Between 2008-2015, 61% of South African abalone exports to Hong Kong came from African countries outside South Africa, a significant increase from the 36% that was exported from outside South Africa between 2000-2007. Aside from one small farm in Namibia, no other African country legally exports the marine mollusk. This highly profitable trade is managed by organised criminal syndicates that reach sellers and buyers in Hong Kong who may or may not realise their involvement is bankrolling illegal activities. Once poached abalone arrives in Hong Kong, under the current legislation, it can be openly traded and sold in markets alongside legally sourced abalone. The report shows that the majority of abalone traders, about 80%, are aware of some form of illegal activity surrounding South African abalone, but less than half of consumers had any knowledge of abalone poaching in South Africa. Current levels of abalone poaching have serious implications for the sustainability of the South African fishery, which in turn, could have rippling impacts on the market. One-third of all abalone imported by Hong Kong is of South African origin, and the report's findings indicate that the availability of this abalone, along with its quality and reasonable price (compared to other more expensive abalone varieties), helps boost South African abalone's popularity among consumers. Any reduction in South African abalone's availability could affect Hong Kong buyers' strong preference for the product-creating a strong incentive for legal producers to support measures that ensure the sustainability of supplies. To reduce the threat of poaching and trafficking, the report offers nine recommendations for governments, legal producers, conservation groups and the donor community to take action. They include listing and enforcing regulations for dried Haliotis midae trade under CITES, working with industry to support the trade in legally sourced South African abalone, and implementing methods for strengthening law enforcement, improving traceability, and raising public awareness about the species and illegal trade. Details: Cambridge, UK: TRAFFIC International, 2018. 114p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 13, 2018 at: http://www.traffic.org/home/2018/2/8/poached-abalone-from-south-africa-is-flowing-into-hong-kong.html Year: 2018 Country: Hong Kong URL: http://www.traffic.org/home/2018/2/8/poached-abalone-from-south-africa-is-flowing-into-hong-kong.html Shelf Number: 149119 Keywords: AbaloneAnimal PoachingEnvironmental CrimeFishing IndustryIllegal FishingIllegal TradeOrganized CrimeTrafficking in WildlifeWildlife CrimeWildlife Trafficking |
Author: Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) Title: Party to the Plunder: Illegal Fishing in Guinea and its links to the EU Summary: - Illegal fishing by foreign trawlers in Guinea's coastal zone is widespread and increasing, despite the attention that has been focussed on illegal fishing by the international community in recent years. - Marine resources and the coastal communities that depend upon them are suffering from unsustainable fishing activities, including massive bycatch and discards, problems that are being significantly compounded by the presence of illegal fishing vessels. - Illegal fishing is aided by the widespread use of flags of convenience that are used to conceal the identity of the true beneficial vessel owners. Various tactics are used to confuse the identity of fishing vessels, including multiple vessel names and frequent changes in name and registry. Penalising wrongdoers can therefore be very difficult, and penalties do not in many cases serve as sufficient deterrent given the lucrative gains to be made from illegal fishing. - Some of the vessels arrested by Guinean authorities have been seen in Las Palmas, Spain, suggesting that illegal fish is being marketed in the European Community. Once the fish has been landed in Las Palmas, it is extremely difficult to track it to its final market destination. There are significant problems in the traceability of fish within the EU to ensure that illegally-caught fish does not enter the marketplace. - Guinea has serious problems in keeping these illegally operating vessels at bay, given their lack of logistical and financial resources. A unique and novel experimental method has been tried in recent years by integrating artisanal fishermen in the surveillance system. Despite its promising beginning, the programme is currently facing difficulties and international support is decreasing. - Regional efforts and cooperation need to be enhanced in order to ensure that enforcement efforts in one area do not result in displacement of illegal activity to more remote areas where surveillance is lacking. - The European Union, as a major market for Guinean fish and an important partner though its bilateral fisheries agreement, has an important role to play. Crucially, the EU must take steps to ensure that it does not facilitate or promote IUU fishing in Guinea, by examining traceability from the sea to the marketplace; ensuring that fishing agreements promote sustainable and legal fisheries; remedying the role of Las Palmas in IUU fishing; and the involvement of EU nationals and associated companies in undertaking IUU fishing in Guinea and elsewhere in the region. Details: London: EJF, 2005. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 9, 2018 at: https://ejfoundation.org/resources/downloads/party-to-the-plunder.pdf Year: 2005 Country: Guinea URL: https://ejfoundation.org/resources/downloads/party-to-the-plunder.pdf Shelf Number: 149416 Keywords: Fishing Industry Illegal Fishing Maritime Crime Offenses Against the Environment Unregulated FishingWildlife Crimes |
Author: Shaver, Amanda Title: Casting a Wider Net: The Security Implications of Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Summary: The world's fisheries are on the brink of collapse. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (UNFAO) estimates nearly 90 percent are fully exploited or overexploited and depleted, while demand for seafood continues to increase. Faced with this reality, fishing fleets are scavenging the globe to meet the growing demand, and in the process often engage in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. These pervasive operations do not just pose a threat to the environment, but also a significant threat to national, regional, and global security. This report details those threats, which are the: 1 Threat to ecological security 2 Threat to economic security 3 Threat to food security 4 Threat to geopolitical stability 5 Threat of maritime piracy 6 Threat of transnational organized crime The perpetrators of IUU fishing are not just the local fisherman catching a bit more than his quota allows, but include a range of offenders: from foreign vessels fishing illegally in another nation's sovereign waters to criminal networks that participate in a variety of illicit activities, including trafficking in drugs, arms, and humans, as well as utilizing shell companies to launder money and slaves to carry out their operations. For these reasons and many others explored within this report, IUU fishing poses a risk to national security and addressing it will require more effort and focus than can be addressed by the conservation community and natural resource management agencies alone. These threats necessitate countries across the world, and particularly the United States, to develop a whole-of-government strategy to combat IUU fishing. This integrated approach involves tapping into the expertise of agencies across government, including those with knowledge spanning from natural resource management, development, trade and finance, to intelligence gathering and law enforcement, as well as the wide community of stakeholders interested in combating IUU fishing. Casting a Wider Net: The Security Implications of Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing, argues that IUU fishing is a threat to national security due to its multivariate impacts on individuals, communities, economies, institutions, and governments. It sets out a series of recommendations that articulate a whole-of-government strategy that the U.S. government and other foreign partners can utilize to curb the impacts of IUU fishing, which are to: - Create a whole-of-government approach - Increase engagement of Combatant Commands (COCOMS) - Expand shiprider agreements between the U.S. and foreign countries - Encourage countries to ratify, implement, and enforce the Port State Measures Agreement - Dedicate resources to increase monitoring and enforcement capacities - Advocate for comprehensive foreign domestic fisheries regulations and catch reporting requirements - Encourage greater transparency of the fishing industry Details: Washington, DC: Stimson Center, 2018. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 10, 2018 at: https://www.stimson.org/sites/default/files/file-attachments/Casting%20a%20Wider%20Net%20Report.pdf Year: 2018 Country: International URL: https://www.stimson.org/sites/default/files/file-attachments/Casting%20a%20Wider%20Net%20Report.pdf Shelf Number: 150135 Keywords: Fishing IndustryIllegal FishingMaritime Crime Offenses Against the Environment Unregulated FishingWildlife Crime |
Author: Yusuf, Mohammed H. Title: The Sea Piracy: Trend, Myth & the Reality for the Somali modern day of Piracy in Horn of Africa Summary: There are many, and very strong criticism toward the SP in the HoA, and the UN Security Council has a number of significant resolutions to oppress and fight against the SP off the coast of Somalia. While this grown concern among the International community, regional and as well the maritime actors about the potential dangers postured by the SP are result for continues of the civil strife of national administration and central authority to govern its territories. During the studying for the SP phenomenon, the thesis has come across that many academia and international maritime actors contributed to this field in order to find the best counter measure against the threats to the global security and economy by the SP off the HoA. Notwithstanding only that, but there is significant reality on the ground that has not been considered during the examination of the SP and its causes. Therefore, in this thesis, the paper presents to fill that gap with the relevant input and bring to new light and shed with Somali perspective view on this globally and locally affected pirate activities, which seems and mostly like to take place again due to the recent insecurity of Yemen and the continues weak Somali government. This thesis will illuminate the level of heated discussions on the prospects for long and lasting containment of SP and propose solution based on the Somalis to fight against both the SP off the HoA and protect their water from the IUU and dumping toxic waste. The thesis is based on a qualitative case study and analyses the SP, the cause and the solution. And therefore the main focus will be on the roots and the genesis of the SP off the Somalia coast, their modus operandi, their arguments that the root cause of SP is the result of the foreign illegal activities and the coast guard narratives. After being a while in the region of Puntland, where the main piracy activities have been taken place, the researcher extensively discussed the matter with locals, pirates, elders in Bosaaso and Garowe towns; as well as combing with the qualitatively researched reports from the concerned organizations such as NATO, UN, EU, IMB, IMO and both the Somali and international media those covering constantly the SP phenomenon. It is true nature that, when community loses everything including their right to protect their livelihood then their country turns into a host for ghost for pirates and other criminal acts such as terrorism. For the last two decades, the country has been in anarchy, the population experience extreme poverty and continues droughts and conflicts, their fish stock in their water were looted by illegal international groups, driving fishing industry. Those foreign trawlers result that the local fishing industry collapses and increase the poverty at the coastal areas. The absent of strong central government in the country are one of the reasons that encouraged piracy to emerge and remains still to be both local and global problem. Details: The Author, 2016? 88p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 19, 2019 at: https://www.academia.edu/15264222/The_Sea_Piracy_Trend_Myth_and_the_Reality_for_the_Somali_modern_day_of_Piracy_in_Horn_of_Africa Year: 2016 Country: Somalia URL: https://www.academia.edu/15264222/The_Sea_Piracy_Trend_Myth_and_the_Reality_for_the_Somali_modern_day_of_Piracy_in_Horn_of_Africa Shelf Number: 155048 Keywords: Illegal FishingMaritime Crime Maritime Security Piracy/Pirates |
Author: Smyth, Chris Title: The Threat to Australia's Oceans from Supertrawlers Summary: Since the 1950s industrial-scale factory fishing fleets have roamed the world's oceans looking for fish, spurred on by demand, government subsidies and advances in technology. Overfishing, illegal fishing, decimated local coastal economies and illegal activities have followed in their wake. In the early 1980s Australia took control of its waters, limiting access by foreign fishing fleets that had been exploiting Australia's fish stocks including tuna and prawn for decades. Access thereafter was via agreement only. There was a lot at stake - Australian waters are particularly vulnerable to overfishing due to their low biological productivity and the difficulty in detection over such remote and vast areas. In the following decades Australia was able to develop a reputation for being one of the better managed fishing nations. The contrast between fishing intensity inside and outside Australia's waters is stark. Fishing fleets on the high seas operate right up to Australia's borders (see Figure 1, opposite). It is becoming apparent that Australia's reputation is increasingly a beacon drawing in the industrial fishing capacity that has depleted oceans elsewhere. The unprecedented approval for two European supertrawlers (industrial fishing boats that catch, process, freeze and store on a grand scale) to fish in Australian waters in recent years - the Margiris and the Dirk Dirk - is an indicator of this. The Australian public roundly rejected the notion of supertrawlers operating in our fisheries, but weak domestic regulation allows them to slip through into Australian waters. The two supertrawlers that have received regulatory approval to operate in Australian waters were hounded out by local communities. In response to high levels of concern, the federal government put in place a permanent ban on supertrawlers in Australian waters, but the research has found this to be 'tip of the iceberg regulation' - banning only a tiny subset (just six) of the world's supertrawler fleet. The research has also found that there have been moves for at least the last two years to bring other foreign fishing vessels into Australian waters. Australia's fishing fleet is relatively small, with limited capital and high operating costs given the vastness and limited productivity of our oceans. Ready-to-go foreign fishing vessels with far greater capacity appear to be an attractive option for significantly increasing catch in Australian waters. This report details what is known to this point including new information that has come to light as a result of questioning in the Federal Parliament and background research. At the time of going to print, a Freedom of Information (FOI) request lodged with the Federal Government earlier this year remains outstanding. Regulator transparency is limited in this area. Even with the limited information available, this report has found that there is both motive and opportunity - there is a push for increased commercial fishing effort in Australian waters, the industrial capacity found in foreign fishing fleets is necessary to achieve this aim, and Australia's legal loopholes and regulatory opaqueness make this possible. Further, this report finds that the prospect of industrial scale foreign fishing vessels becoming established in Australian waters poses an unacceptable risk to Australia's unique and diverse marine life, its fishing sustainability, its recreational fishing lifestyle and associated tourism ventures, its ability to uphold human rights and environmental safeguards, and its international reputation. This report makes two key recommendations - that a formal independent inquiry is now needed to investigate moves to bring foreign fishing vessels into Australian waters, and that the Federal Government must make good on its claim that supertrawlers are banned in Australia's vulnerable fisheries. Details: West End, Queensland, Australia: Australian Marine Conservation Society, 2019. 58p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 20, 2019 at: https://www.marineconservation.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/AMCS-SOML-supertrawler-overseas-fleets-report-2019.pdf Year: 2019 Country: Australia URL: https://apo.org.au/node/234341?utm_source=APO-feed&utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=rss-all Shelf Number: 155939 Keywords: AustraliaFisheriesForeign Fishing VesselsIllegal FishingIllegal, Undocumented, and Unregulated FishingIUU FishingSupertrawlers |