IUU Task Force Releases Action Plan to Build Capacity to Fight IUU Fishing

Background on Recommendation 6

The Presidential Task Force on Combatting Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing and Seafood Fraud was established by Executive Memorandum in 2014 and directed to develop recommendations to combat IUU fishing and seafood fraud through a coordinated inter-agency effort. Recommendation 6 addresses the need for international capacity building efforts to strengthen fisheries management and combat IUU fishing “in consultation with relevant government, donor, technical, industry, and non-governmental organizations, and with appropriate public outreach.” Through the implementation of Recommendation 6, international capacity can be built to not only combat IUU fishing but also human rights and labor abuses, which are often inextricably linked.

Status

The Task Force Recommendation 6 Working Group (WG) recently released a Strategic Action Plan for Building International Capacity to Strengthen Fisheries Management and Combat Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing. This Plan presents a framework for building international capacity needed to achieve legal and sustainable fisheries, while recognizing that capacity building must focus on systems, organizations, and individuals in order to foster the institutions, technologies, human resources, and political will required to address these issues. The Action plan identifies important short and long-term U.S. government activities for combatting IUU fishing at an international scale (summarized in Annex A). The Plan focuses on six broad strategies:

Additionally, the Working Group consulted with experts to develop a conceptual model of the drivers of IUU fishing, and to identify leverage points for affecting change (see page 4 of report). These leverage points, in turn, informed the strategies and short and long-term activities to be implemented. To address the sixth priority and improve information exchange about existing and planned projects USID has launched a new interactive online inventory of capacity building projects. Anyone can access the inventory and register and submit information about a capacity project for inclusion.

Many of the initiatives undertaken by the members and collaborators of the Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions align with the strategies it outlines. FishWise has created a summary brief about the action plan which can be accessed at the link below.

FishWise Brief on IUU Task Force Recommendation 6