Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Vessel Listing

The publication of lists of vessels known to be involved in illegal fishing activities is another important international tool for combating overfishing and contributing to sustainable fish stocks and healthy ocean ecosystems. Many regional fisheries management organizations have now developed IUU vessel lists as part of their conservation efforts.

United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) International Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing sets out procedures for IUU listing aimed at ensuring that the process is transparent, equitable and non-discriminatory. An IUU list includes information about any vessels considered to be fishing illegally within a regional fisheries management organization's (RFMO) convention area. The listings include vessels from contracting and non-contracting countries.

In addition to RFMOs, some countries such as Norway and conservation organizations such as Greenpeace and World Wildlife Federation (WWF) have developed their own lists to deter illegal fishing activity by bringing attention to specific vessels, and as well as flag states that are contributing to the global problem of IUU fishing.

IUU Vessel Lists:

• Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission
• Indian Ocean Tuna Commission
• Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission
• International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna
• Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization
• Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries
• South East Atlantic Fisheries Organization
• Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living resources