Source: ICTSD
Author: Gilles Hosch
Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is a persistent and global problem that undermines the achievement of sustainable fisheries and can have harmful impacts on sustainable development priorities such as food security, economic development, and fighting organised crime. Fish is one of the most valuable renewable resource commodities exploited today, and a significant proportion of global fish production enters international trade, which means trade policy should have a role in addressing the problem. This research paper describes and compares the apparent impact of multilateral and unilateral trade-related measures taken to address IUU fishing, including trade and catch documentation schemes and trade-restrictive measures that identify and sanction countries for perceived weaknesses in addressing IUU fishing.