The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) have come together to celebrate the International Day for the Fight Against Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing on 5 June.
The date was chosen in 2015 to mark the entry into force of the Port State Measures Agreement, the first binding international agreement which sought to address IUU fishing and which has been ratified by more than 50 nations and the European Union. Most recently, China signed the agreement.
In a joint press release, the organizations took stock of the progress that has been made to deter IUU fishing since 2015, when, they said, individual countries largely worked independently to address the problem.
Now, the organizations said, the development and implementation of national plans of action between the European Union and its member states, alongside Turkey, Morocco, Albania, Montenegro, Ukraine, and others, has significantly modernized national monitoring frameworks.
They reported a significant increase in cooperation between countries adjacent to the Mediterranean and Black seas in particular, which had resulted in standardized policy at sea and at port. A key success was the recently amended European Union Control Regulation, codified in 2023, which strengthened the use of digital technologies to monitoring fishing activities in E.U. countries.
These technologies included intuitive mobile applications that make it easier for both commercial and recreational fishers to record their catches online.
The organizations reported positive feedback – especially with regard to their support for technological monitoring – from nations, maritime regulators, and small-scale fishers.
“The role of fisheries inspectors has evolved significantly, with technology and tighter regulations enhancing our capacity to detect and deter IUU fishing,” Turkish Fisheries and Aquaculture Department Head Sadettin Doğu said.
Elsewhere, Morocco and Montenegro, respectively, are standardizing in-port inspections. The GFCM worked with Morocco to develop binding recommendations for its new electronic monitoring solution, which allows the nation’s many small-scale fishers to use radio frequencies to report their catches.
In Montenegro, a GFCM-supported pilot VMS program put voluntary transponders on small-scale fishing vessels.
"I welcomed the VMS pilot on my vessel for its many benefits,” said Knežević Ivo, a fisher from Ada Bojana, who participated in the pilot program. “It boosts safety on our small boats and helps inspectors detect illegal fishing. The data also supports resource conservation and ensures fair use of state support like fuel aid."
Multiple stakeholders said they believed that the improved technological deterrents would ensure the future of their livelihoods.
“These changes not only support fairer fisheries governance but also strengthen the protection of fragile marine ecosystems. Our work today is more than enforcement; it’s a commitment to sustainability,” Doğu said.
