PURPOSE: The General Assembly of the United Nations declared 5 June the International Day for the Fight against IUU Fishing at its seventy-second session in November 2017. The date reflects the day when the Port State Measures Agreement officially entered into force as an international treaty. The entry into force of this agreement marks an historical event, as it is the first international legally-binding instrument specifically devoted to the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. Beyond food and economic security and environmental impacts, new geopolitical and conflict threats associated with IUU fishing have emerged. The purpose of this day is to draw attention to the threats posed by IUU fishing activities to the sustainable use of fisheries resources as well as to highlight the ongoing efforts to fight these activities.
FORUM: “Sustainable Fishing starts with us.” International day for the fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing 2023. On the occasion of the Sixth observance the FAO is organizing a digital talk on how IUU fishing affects small-scale fishers and their communities, and how small-scale fishers can be stewards of the ocean against IUU fishing. Research shows that It is estimated that 1 in every 5 fish caught, comes from IUU fishing. When such fish ends up on our plates, we are unwitting accomplices in unsustainable, and often criminal practices, that are damaging our future well-being and the sustainability of our planet. The FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture has developed an international tool on the Global Record of Fishing Vessels, Refrigerated Transport Vessels and Supply Vessels to fight IUU fishing. Join us in a digital talk as we bring together different voices: a journalist together with a chef, a scholar, an artisanal fisher, and a technical officer, who explore both sides of the coin and look towards possible solutions for sustainable fishing. Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #IUUFishing, #5June, #FightIUUFishing, #SaveOurOcean.
EVENT On 5 June 2023, from 15:00 to 16:00 CEST; to mark the International day for the fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing 2023, a webinar was held from the FAO Headquater to promote the work of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), small scale fisheries, to address IUU fishing and related crimes along the fisheries value chain affecting ocean health, peace, and security. The Participants will learn the way to improve maritime security through information exchange, science and technology as the world depends on healthy oceans. Register to participate.
PODCASTS: How to manage fish resources and ensure that these can be used sustainably while providing healthy food at reasonable prices? Listen to the audio-podcats!
CAMPAIGN MATERIALS: Sustainable Fishing starts with us. Act to stop illegal fishing. Get the campaign materials!
WHY WE CELEBRATE THE DAY?
IUU fishing undermines national and regional efforts to conserve and manage fish stocks and, as a consequence, inhibits progress towards achieving the goals of long-term sustainability and responsibility. Moreover, IUU fishing greatly disadvantages and discriminates against those fishers that act responsibly, honestly and in accordance with the terms of their fishing authorizations. If IUU fishers target vulnerable stocks that are subject to strict management controls or moratoria, efforts to rebuild those stocks to healthy levels will not be achieved, threatening marine biodiversity, food security for communities who rely on fisheries resources for protein and the livelihoods of those involved in the sector.
An international framework has been developing to address fisheries management since the adoption of UNCLOS in 1982, with an increasing number of fisheries management instruments beginning in the 1990s. This framework is comprised of both binding agreements and voluntary instruments which facilitate the management of fisheries at the global, regional and national level.
HOW TO GET INVOLED!
PARTNERSHIPS
Raise awareness about the alarming issues of fish stocks.
Connect with fishermen, artisanal fishing communities, and the whole small scale fishery sector.
Bring together information on capacity development projects to support States in combating IUU fishing.
Ensure effective implementation and enforcement of country’s revised laws.
Strengthen the effective implementation of international rules and management measures.
Increase the traceability of seafood products; and Prevent sales of IUU products.
Amend the fisheries law and strengthening legislation.
Create a legal framework for a gradual transition to commercial, responsible and sustainable fisheries.
Reduce the number of fishing boats operating illegally in other countries.
Downsizing the fishing fleet; and
Strengthen education and information so as to raise awareness among fishermen not to violate other countries’ waters
The International Day for the Fight against IUU Fishing is co-organized by the United Nations Convention of the Law of Sea (UNCLOS), the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture. With the collaboration of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT), the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC), the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO), the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO), the South-East Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (SEAFO), the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA), the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO), the Convention on Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Pollock Resources in the Central Bering Sea (CCBSP), the Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Programme (AIDCP), the North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC), the Western Central Atlantic Fisheries Commission (WECAFC), the Fisheries Committee for the Eastern Central Atlantic (CECAF).