Risky business: How companies can avoid supporting illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing
© OCEANA / Juan Cuetos
Guidelines for companies doing business with fishing vessels, refrigerated transport vessels, and supply ships on how to identify and avoid business contracts with vessels or companies associated with illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. IUU fishing constitutes one of the most serious threats to sustainable fisheries and to a healthy ocean. Weaknesses in international fisheries governance make IUU fishing a notoriously difficult issue to tackle, and assistance from the private sector is critical. All companies that offer services to the fishing sector can play a significant role in helping to combat this problem. Operators that engage in illegal fishing, much like legitimate operators, rely on businesses that repair or maintain vessels, or that provide fuel, logistical support, crews, satellite communications, classification or statutory services, or risk and compliance services. By providing services to vessels engaged in illegal fishing, companies may unknowingly expose themselves to multiple risks: non-compliance with national and international legislation, financial losses, reputational damage, and association with crime, environmental destruction, and human rights
abuses. By limiting their services to only legitimate operators, companies can reduce such risks, and make it more difficult for illicit operators to continue fishing and maintain financial viability. Oceana is calling on companies that do business with the global fishing industry to support efforts that can help reduce and ultimately eliminate IUU fishing. This document provides guidelines for these companies to reduce their risk of supporting illegal fishing activity. It is intended for risk managers, surveyors, agents, brokers, and other relevant parties within businesses that provide services to fishing vessels. By integrating the risk mitigation measures presented in these guidelines within existing risk management processes, companies and associations can manage their reputational risk, enhance regulatory compliance, and play a key role in stopping IUU fishing and ensuring the long-term sustainability of fisheries management.
What is IUU fishing? Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is an unresolved and internationally pervasive problem. Those that participate in illegal fishing break or avoid fisheries management rules and operate outside the effective reach of government control. Illegal fishing is fishing that is carried out without appropriate authorisation or licences, and may involve overfishing, catching and retaining non-permitted species or species over or under a permitted size limit, and fishing in a closed area, during a closed season, or using banned gear. For further details, refer to the formal definition of IUU fishing outlined in the International Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate IUU Fishing (IPOA IUU) developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).1 References: 1 Food and Agriculture Organization. (2001). International Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing. https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/71be21c9-8406-5f66-ac68-1e74604464e7 1