Illegal fishing, especially on an industrial scale, is one of the greatest threats to the conservation of marine biodiversity and to the sustainability of the relationship between human societies and the oceans.
It is estimated that every year between 8.4 and 15.4 million tonnes of fish and other marine organisms are illegally caught.
In an article published in the journal ‘PNAS’, three scientists from the University of British Columbia (Canada) reveal how illegal fishing occurs, where it is most concentrated and why it continues to happen.
“Illegal fishing is not a marginal activity, but a systemic feature of the global market for marine products, enabled by weak governance, harmful subsidies, opaque corporate structures and complex global supply chains,” explains Philippe Le Billon, the study’s lead author.
“Illegal fishing remains profitable because the risks are low and the rewards are high,” he notes. Even with improvements in detecting illegal activity at sea, he adds, enforcement, law enforcement and accountability continue to fail, “in particular for large industrial fleets operating far from public scrutiny.”
The trio of researchers estimates that illegal and undeclared fishing on an industrial scale represents between 8% and 15% of total global catches of fish and other marine animals, which amounts to an illicit trade in seafood products worth 6.2 to 12.2 billion dollars per year.
Although it occurs across the world’s waters, illegal fishing concentrates primarily in West Africa, East Asia and Southeast Asia, regions the authors say have a “frequently limited” capacity to enforce laws and oversight, where fishing is essential for the food security and employment of many populations.
But there are other dynamics that emerge, underscoring the imbalances between wealthier countries, often with fewer natural resources, and poorer countries, with greater abundance of natural resources.
A significant portion of illegally caught seafood is used to feed wealthier markets, such as in North America, Europe and Asia.
“The environmental and social costs fall largely on developing coastal states, while the economic benefits flow to other places,” says Rashid Sumaila, coauthor.
Therefore, the researchers advocate as a priority the elimination of subsidies for illicit and undeclared fishing, the mandatory electronic identification of ships, the strengthening of port inspections, increased transparency around beneficial ownership and improvements in international cooperation.
In addition, they say it is equally important to implement policies that protect artisanal fishing and the practices of indigenous communities, promote co-management of fisheries and align economic incentives, such as subsidies, with sustainable and legal practices.
