The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) commits to expand the Fisheries Information Network (FIN) in West Africa and other areas affected by high levels of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. This is part of EJFs efforts to end IUU fishing in order to help protect the oceans and help achieve SDG 14.
EJFs Fisheries Information Network gathers evidence on fishing vessel activities and promotes information-sharing amongst key stakeholders in the fishery sector. The network aims to ensure that sanctions are imposed for IUU activities, improve transparency, and identify trends in illegal fishing activity to inform regional and global decision-making.
FIN supports information-sharing among a number of key stakeholders, in particular by facilitating and coordinating the reporting of IUU incidents among regional and international authorities as well as fishing communities. In addition, EJF uses satellite tracking technologies to support coastal countries in monitoring their waters and managing fishing activities.
This information leads to the issuance of alerts targeted at coastal, flag and port States. These alerts provide information on vessel activities and help States take further steps to investigate cases of IUU fishing.
Lastly, FIN provides information on IUU fishing to inform global advocacy efforts for wider reforms using real-world examples to demonstrate the need for greater transparency and traceability in global fisheries.
Progress reports
14.2
By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans
Type of commitment
Integrated Coastal Management
14.4
By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics
Type of commitment
Compliance, monitoring and enforcement
Reduction and elimination fishing practices and gear that destroy/degrade marine habitat
December/2017
Recruited at least 20 community, industry, governmental and other stakeholders who provide information on IUU fishing to FIN as well as sharing best practices on compliance, monitoring and reporting
June/2018
Documented at least 20 cases of IUU fishing and shared these with relevant states and other stakeholders
Staff / Technical expertise
EJF is mobilising staff across its network to support this commitment, including team members in Ivory Coast, Germany, Ghana, South Korea, Liberia, Spain, Thailand and the UK
December/2017
