The International Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance (MCS) Network was established in 2001 to provide a mechanism for fisheries law enforcement professionals to share information and experiences as they monitor the increasingly complex harvesting and marketing of fish around the world. The International MCS Network is an informal, voluntary network of States, regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) and regional economic integration organizations, as represented by the person or persons responsible for fisheries-related MCS. This includes fisheries managers, investigators, attorneys, foreign service officers, and forensics specialists, among others. Membership is currently limited to these categories, but the IMCS Network works closely with other intergovernmental organizations, in particular the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, and considers them important partners.

The Mission of the International MCS Network is to promote and facilitate cooperation and coordination among Members through information exchange, capacity development and collaboration in order to achieve the improved effectiveness and efficiency of monitoring, control and surveillance activities in order to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing and related fisheries activities on local, regional and international levels.