Films
Unregulated: The South Atlantic Squid Fishing Boom
Hundreds of distant-water vessels are plundering squid populations in the Southwest Atlantic, driving a keystone species towards collapse and exposing workers to horrific abuses, according to a new investigation and film from the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF).
Unregulated: The South Atlantic Squid Fishing Boom
Hundreds of distant-water vessels are plundering squid populations in the Southwest Atlantic, driving a keystone species towards collapse and exposing workers to horrific abuses, according to a new investigation and film from the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF).
Walls of Death: Illegal Driftnetting in the Mediterranean
Among the most destructive fishing methods ever used, driftnets have been banned in the Mediterranean for decades - but EJF's latest investigation reveals they never really went away.
Discarded: Hidden Overfishing in the EU
In European waters, fish are caught and dumped at sea to make room for more valuable catch. This practice, known as highgrading, is illegal, but unfortunately most cases go unreported.
This extremely wasteful and unsustainable practice puts pressure on struggling ecosystems and harms honest fishers’ livelihoods. Transparency is the key to protecting these ecosystems and ending this widespread illegal practice.
The High Seas: A Global Deal to Protect Our Oceans
The UN High Seas Treaty has entered into force, and we celebrate this exciting moment for ocean protection. It is evidence that a rules-based order can still deliver in the face of escalating environmental breakdown.
Sebelum Anda Naik Kapal: Risiko Tersembunyi dari Kapal Penangkap Ikan Jarak Jauh
15th December, 2025Sebelum Anda Naik Kapal: Risiko Tersembunyi dari Kapal Penangkap Ikan Jarak Jauh
Before You Board: The Hidden Risks of Distant Water Fishing
Every year, thousands of Indonesians work as fishers on foreign boats, promised high wages for work abroad. However, the reality of life at sea can be very different from what is promised. Once onboard, fishers are routinely overworked, abused, and exploited.
Are you thinking of taking a job on a distant water fishing vessel? Watch out for these warning signs:
🚩 The recruitment agency doesn't have a valid licence or has a bad reputation. A company's SIUKAK/SIUPPAK permit can be found on the official Ministry of Transportation website, while its SIP3MI permit can be checked on the Ministry of KP2MI website.
🚩 The recruitment agency offers loans
Loans through banks or cash advances from companies are often used to pressure crew into accepting low salaries or prevent them from terminating their employment contracts.
🚩 Lack of transparency about salary
The recruitment agency receives crew's salary in advance before transferring it to their personal account. This creates an opportunity for companies to illegally "take a share" of crew's salary.
🚩 Retention of identity documents
Confiscation of passports, ID cards, family cards, and other personal documents controls migrant workers' movements while working.
🚩 Offered work on Chinese-flagged ships
Several human rights organisations have documented various human rights violations and allegations of forced labor against Indonesian migrant workers on Chinese-flagged ships.
(The footage used is illustrative and does not necessarily show the boats discussed by the fishers.)
The Forests of Life: How Mangroves Sustain Ghana's Fisheries, Coastline, and Climate – an EJF film
Mangroves sustain communities, shield coasts, and store vast amounts of carbon. In Ghana they are vanishing fast – but their protection is within reach through safeguarding, restoration, and community leadership.
In partnership with Hen Mpoano, watch our short documentary, which reveals how local action and stronger policy can revive these vital ecosystems.
Together we are strong: Liberia's fishmongers building fairer fisheries
Communities for Fisheries: The lasting impact – an EJF film
Reports
Unseen and unaccountable: The growing threat of China’s squid fleet in the South Pacific
This report exposes the alarming environmental and human rights toll of China’s distant-water squid fleet in the Southeast Pacific. It draws on investigations that reveal widespread shark finning, marine mammal capture, abusive labour practices, and the unloading of deceased crew into Latin American ports. The report also highlights major governance failures: despite early warnings of a decline in the squid population, and calls for urgent reforms to end IUU fishing and forced labour in the world’s most important squid fishery. Watch the webinar where we discuss the findings of this report with experts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r0CjrHha2E
This report exposes the alarming environmental and human rights toll of China’s distant-water squid fleet in the Southeast Pacific. It draws on investigations that reveal widespread shark finning, marine mammal capture, abusive labour practices, and the unloading of deceased crew into Latin American ports. The report also highlights major governance failures: despite early warnings of a decline in the squid population, and calls for urgent reforms to end IUU fishing and forced labour in the world’s most important squid fishery.
Watch the webinar where we discuss the findings of this report with experts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
Right to Reduce: Toxic-free reuse and reduction-enabling systems as real solutions to plastic pollution: The "Right to Reduce" is a concept created by the Environmental Justice Foundation. This policy white paper asserts that the ability to reduce consumption of plastics and materials is a human right. It shows that today, individuals are systematically denied the right to reduce due to the dominance of plastics in everyday life, leaving people with little meaningful ability to avoid plastic consumption. This right to reduce is guaranteed by establishing toxic-free reduction-enabling systems, challenging the current system of plastic overproduction and overconsumption, and rejecting false solutions.
The "Right to Reduce" is a concept created by the Environmental Justice Foundation. This policy white paper asserts that the ability to reduce consumption of plastics and materials is a human right. It shows that today, individuals are systematically denied the right to reduce due to the dominance of plastics in everyday life, leaving people with little meaningful ability to avoid plastic consumption.
This right to reduce is guaranteed by establishing toxic-free reduction-enabling systems, challenging the current system of plastic overproduction and overconsumption, and rejecting false solutions.
Joint letter to Cyprus EU Presidency: Upholding the common fisheries policy at the EU Fisheries Directors General and Attachés informal meeting in Cyprus: This letter, signed by the Environmental Justice Foundation, Coalition Clean Baltic, ClientEarth, Oceana, Seas At Risk and WWF EU, urges Mrs Marina Argyrou, Director of the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research of Cyprus and presiding over the informal meeting of EU Fisheries Directors General and Attachés (26-28 April 2026), to resist growing pressure from some Member States to reopen core fisheries legislation under a so-called "simplification package", and to prioritise the full and timely implementation of existing Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) provisions as a prerequisite to achieving sustainable EU fisheries.
This letter, signed by the Environmental Justice Foundation, Coalition Clean Baltic, ClientEarth, Oceana, Seas At Risk and WWF EU, urges Mrs Marina Argyrou, Director of the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research of Cyprus and presiding over the informal meeting of EU Fisheries Directors General and Attachés (26-28 April 2026), to resist growing pressure from some Member States to reopen core fisheries legislation under a so-called "simplification package", and to prioritise the full and timely implementation of existing Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) provisions as a prerequisite to achieving sustainable EU fisheries.
Criminal catches: How to stop the supply of illegal seafood to the UK - Report Summary: The Coalition for Fisheries Transparency is calling on the UK to fully implement the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency to address illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and human rights abuses in the fisheries sector. The Coalition's report, Criminal catches: How to stop the supply of illegal seafood to the UK, provides detailed evidence on the problems in British seafood supply chains and clear recommendations to address them.
The Coalition for Fisheries Transparency is calling on the UK to fully implement the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency to address illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and human rights abuses in the fisheries sector. The Coalition's report, Criminal catches: How to stop the supply of illegal seafood to the UK, provides detailed evidence on the problems in British seafood supply chains and clear recommendations to address them.
A Manifesto from the Species of the Pantanal: This manifesto calls for urgent action to protect the world's largest tropical wetland, the Pantanal, on behalf of the species that inhabit it. This landmark manifesto has been signed by 16 leading conservation organisations.
Citizen scientists of the sea: The power of fisher inclusion in Ghana's closed season monitoring: Fisher inclusion transforms closed seasons from a top-down directive into a community-driven conservation effort. Sustained engagement and recognition of fisher knowledge are essential to rebuilding Ghana’s fish populations and securing the livelihoods of coastal communities.
Why the EU should follow Scotland and require CCTV on ‘supertrawlers’: Ten EU-linked freezer trawlers, all of them so-called supertrawlers over 100m long, spent an estimated 14,530 hours fishing in Scottish waters in the 12 months to 1 February 2026. Since 7 March, Scotland has required cameras on board to monitor trawlers in its waters, and the rest of the UK and EU should follow suit.
Ten EU-linked freezer trawlers, all of them so-called supertrawlers over 100m long, spent an estimated 14,530 hours fishing in Scottish waters in the 12 months to 1 February 2026. Since 7 March, Scotland has required cameras on board to monitor trawlers in its waters, and the rest of the UK and EU should follow suit.