Dismantling support systems to IUU fishing

Oceana - Project Dates:
September 2020 - December 2020

Description of Project:
Oceana has a campaign to reduce illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU)
fishing, by encouraging companies to deny IUU fishing vessel owners and operators access to the
supporting services they require to be operational and financially viable. An important goal of the
campaign was to ensure that at least one major company based in the European Union improved
its due diligence processes to reduce the risk of supporting IUU fishing through the provision of
services. Oceana also wanted to secure additional commitments from key companies in service-providing
sectors internationally, and for these companies to introduce requirements to improve
transparency and accountability within the global fishing industry. Prior to pursuing engagement
with these sectors and companies, Oceana commissioned this external research study to gather
baseline information to inform the campaign

Services Provided:

The research carried out identified

1. key sectors that provide services to large, ocean-going vessels that fish or support fishing activities in distant, foreign waters or within high seas areas;
2. key companies within these sectors, also in relation to risk of association to IUU fishing; and
3. how due diligence processes are currently carried out within these sectors or companies to avoid association to criminal activities.

The study resulted in conclusions about which input sectors would offer most scope to form part of future campaign work by Oceana.

This enabled Poseidon to gain useful, specialised information to advise and assist
Oceana in: choosing campaign targets; developing sector- and company-relevant recommendations;
and creating a strategic advocacy plan for how to successfully engage with targeted companies and
secure commitments for meaningful and permanent change.