Overview of the IUU fishing in the Pacific: policy, legislation and

practice Moses Amos,

Director of Fisheries,

Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC)

OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE WILL COVER

• Size of the Pacific Oceanic Fisheries

• National, Sub-regional & Regional Perspectives

• Successes

• Current situation

• IUU Trends and Impacts

• Challenges

• Vanuatu’s experiences

• Areas where support is needed

Size of the Pacific fishery

• The fishery is not just big - it is huge ;

• Total EEZ of 30 million square kilometers of ocean;

• Provides 60% of global tuna supply. Half from PICTs EEZs;

• Landed value = ~ US$6 billion – ~ US$3 billion from PICTs EEZs;

• 2013 Total catch = 2,621,511 mt

PS = 1,898,090 mt LL = 230,073 mt Approx. 60% of catch comes from

PNA waters

Just how much is that?

Nose to tail – the skipjack alone would go around

the world more than TEN times

Tuna cans produced could fill

TEN stadiums EACH year

Pacific Region’s Policies – Combating IUU – 3 Levels

•National Level

•Sub-regional Level

•Regional Level

Pacific Region IUU Overview

REGIONAL

(Total EEZs + HS + HS Pocket)

NATIONAL

(EEZs)

SUBREGIONAL

(EEZs of some PICTs + 1 HS

Pocket)

Enhanced & uniformed equivalent

effect on IUU

Regional measures compatible with sub-

regional measures

Regional measures compatible with

national measures

Sub-regional measures

compatible with national measures

Successes - National Level

In-zone

measures

Nat. Gov.

SPC/FFA

• Conservation and Management (VDS, TAC, number of licenses, vessel type & size)

• NPOA IUU

• Tuna Management Plans

• Compliance with sub-regional, regional and international obligations

• Fishing vessel Registration (FFA and Domestic)

• Charter of foreign fishing vessels

• Fishing by local vessels beyond national waters

• Licensing requirements and conditions

• Data collection and reporting

• Exit and entry reporting requirements

• Observer programme

• Boarding and Inspection Programme

• Port Inspections and sampling programme

• Surveillance Programme (serial and sea surface)

• “Port – Port” Vessel Monitoring Programme

• In zone and High seas Transhipment

• FAD programme

• Enforcement and prosecution

• Catch documentation Scheme

• Seafood verification and certification

Typical Weekly VMS coverage – Vanuatu EEZ

Typical Monthly VMS coverage – Vanuatu EEZ

Successes - Sub-regional Level

Sub-regional CMMs

PICTs SR Members

SPC/FFA

• Purse seine Vessel Day Scheme

• Sub-regional Fishing vessel Registration

• Sub-regional Licensing requirements and conditions

• Data collection and reporting

• Observer programme

• Boarding and Inspection Programme

• Vessel Monitoring Programme

• Transhipment Measures

• FAD programme

• Fisheries Information Management System (FIMS)

• Aerial and sea surface surveillance

Successes - Regional Level

• CMMs for – IUU Listing

– Vessel Monitoring System

– High Seas Transhipment

– Compliance Monitoring

– Compliance reports

– Data reporting

– Data submission and verification

– Regulation of Transhipment

– Vessel registration and authorization

– Regional Observer programme

Regional CMMs

DWFNs

PICTS

Current situation in the Pacific Region

IUU Trends and Impacts • Estimating the level of IUU fishing is extremely difficult.

• Continues to be a problem in the Pacific, affecting conservation and management measures both in EEZs ,High seas, and High seas pockets;

• The bulk of IUU fishing occurs within EEZs and in particular within the waters of FFA members by both licensed and unlicensed fishing vessels

• Creates significant constraint to PICTS aspirations and attempt to sustainably manage their resources and provide food and nutrition security or fisheries income:

– Direct Economic impacts

– Secondary economic loses

– Social impacts

– Environmental impacts

Challenges • The responsibility of the coastal state to enforce the law within its EEZ is weak;

• Weak governance, insufficient financial resources, limited capacity, weak enforcement of terms and conditions of licensing;

• Weak national legislations;

• The state of governance of a country correlate with IUU fishing;

• Failure of the control component of MCS, rather than a failure of surveillance;

• Illegal activities by licensed fishing vessels are usually seen as being different from the unlicensed poaching;

• Licensed vessels are not generally regarded as pirates or poachers in the way that unlicensed operators are;

• Lack of distinction between unreported data from fishing within EEZs and that from fishing outside EEZs;

• Failure by States under basic obligations both in international law and under the LOSC to utilize fish stocks in a sustainable manner; and,

• Failure of national MCS systems to deter illegal fishing through detection, apprehension and the imposition of sanctions through the process of law.

Vanuatu’s Experience – “A Blessing in disguise” Before – EU IUU Notification

• No fishing vessel registry

• No control over registration of foreign fishing vessel on Vanuatu international shipping registry

• Uncontrolled issuance of International Fishing Authorisations and foreign fishing licenses;

• Gaps within National Legislation;

• National Tuna Management Plan very weak;

• Reporting performances to RFMOs (IATTC, ICCAT, IOTC, SPRFMO, WCPFC) very poor;

• No Flag State VMS and FIMS;

• No IUU NPOA;

• No port and Inspection Scheme

• No control over high seas transhipment by flag fishing vessels

• No data verification & control scheme

• No catch verification and documentation scheme

• Insufficient budget allocation

• Limited revenue collection

• No cooperation/collaboration between line agencies

After – EU IUU Notification Fishing vessel registry established

Control over registration of foreign fishing vessel on Vanuatu international shipping registry

Control over issuance of International Fishing Authorisations and foreign fishing licenses;

New National Fisheries Legislation;

National Tuna Management Plan revised;

Reporting performances to RFMOs (IATTC, ICCAT, IOTC, SPRFMO, WCPFC) improved;

New Flag State VMS and FIMS;

New IUU NPOA;

New port and Inspection measures

Control over high seas transhipment by flag fishing vessels

New data verification & control scheme established

Catch verification and documentation scheme

Budget allocation increased

Revenue collection increased

No cooperation/collaboration between line agencies

Change comes at a cost but tangible long term benefits

Areas where support would be needed • Improve understanding of the EU IUU Regulations (costs, benefits and impacts for

failure to comply)

• Financial and capacity support to Improve MCS systems (including MCS platforms, training, observers, VMS, management and control structures, catch reporting and accounting);

• Training and human resource development (inspectors, observers, negotiators and legislators);

• Establish alliance with EU to combat IUU;

• Develop strategy to assist and sustain countries de-listed from the EU IUU notification – “Yellow Card”/”Red Card”;

• Provide support to national governments through regional institions, like SPC and FFA;

• Development assistance directed towards enhancing both individual country fisheries management and MCS together with that of the region; and,

• Market/Trade controls and restrictions - through Port State Control or certification schemes,

Ultimate Goal to Combat IUU

IUU Activities Controlled & Reduced

National

Subregion

Region

Thank you