IUU Fishing and Measures to Improve Enforcement and Compliance

The term ‘illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing’ was first used in 1997 in the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) to capture the scope of uncontrolled fishing in the Southern Ocean and the urgency for addressing it. Members agreed that the situation called for collective efforts within CCAMLR, measures by flag states and coastal states and steps vis-à-vis non-Contracting Parties to enhance enforcement and compliance with conservation and management measures (CMMS). It ignited the determination of the international community to come to grips with IUU fishing, which spans activities under international, regional, and national governance.