Reviving ocean life in EU marine protected areas: Across EU seas, destructive fishing practices, such as bottom trawling, continue to degrade critical marine ecosystems, undermine food security, and threaten coastal livelihoods. Urgent action is needed to ensure Member States uphold their legal obligations and environmental commitments, safeguard marine biodiversity, and secure the long-term health of Europe’s seas.
Across EU seas, destructive fishing practices, such as bottom trawling, continue to degrade critical marine ecosystems, undermine food security, and threaten coastal livelihoods. Urgent action is needed to ensure Member States uphold their legal obligations and environmental commitments, safeguard marine biodiversity, and secure the long-term health of Europe’s seas.
Communities for Fisheries issue brief: July to December 2024 project update: The European Union-funded Communities for Fisheries project aims to create skilled, capable and effective community co-management associations (CMAs) to secure legal and sustainable fisheries in Liberia. This brief summarises the project’s activities during the second half of Year Five, July to December 2024.
The European Union-funded Communities for Fisheries project aims to create skilled, capable and effective community co-management associations (CMAs) to secure legal and sustainable fisheries in Liberia. This brief summarises the project’s activities during the second half of Year Five, July to December 2024.
From Commitments to Action: A vision for the European Ocean Pact: The ocean is increasingly under threat from destructive and illegal practices, both within and beyond Europe. The EU has the necessary tools to protect the ocean from these threats, but they are not fully implemented or enforced. The European Ocean Pact must outline actions to ensure the effective implementation of EU laws aimed at combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and protecting marine biodiversity, while preventing emerging threats such as deep-sea mining.
The ocean is increasingly under threat from destructive and illegal practices, both within and beyond Europe. The EU has the necessary tools to protect the ocean from these threats, but they are not fully implemented or enforced.
The European Ocean Pact must outline actions to ensure the effective implementation of EU laws aimed at combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and protecting marine biodiversity, while preventing emerging threats such as deep-sea mining.
Trapped at sea: exposing North Korean forced labour on China’s Indian Ocean tuna fleet: This briefing finds that a fleet of Chinese tuna fishing vessels operating in the Indian Ocean reportedly used North Koreans as crew between 2019 and 2024, likely violating UN sanctions. Many were apparently subjected to abuses, including being trapped at sea for up to a decade, on vessels involved in illegal fishing and the killing of dolphins.
This briefing finds that a fleet of Chinese tuna fishing vessels operating in the Indian Ocean reportedly used North Koreans as crew between 2019 and 2024, likely violating UN sanctions. Many were apparently subjected to abuses, including being trapped at sea for up to a decade, on vessels involved in illegal fishing and the killing of dolphins.
Open Letter: President Emmanuel Macron: In this open letter, members of the Protect Our Catch campaign, including EJF, call on President Emmanuel Macron to take action to end bottom trawling in French MPAs.
Open Letter: EU Commissioner for Fisheries and the Ocean, Costas Kadis: In this open letter, members of the Protect Our Catch campaign, including EJF, call on EU Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans Costas Kadis to take action to end destructive bottom trawling in EU MPAs.
Open letter on the amendment of Thailand's Fisheries Act and the principles of sustainable development, human rights and responsible fishing: Proposed amendments to Thailand's Fisheries Act risk undoing progress in combatting illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, protecting marine ecosystems, and upholding labour rights. This open letter from 57 civil society organisations, including EJF, urges the Senate to reconsider them.
Proposed amendments to Thailand's Fisheries Act risk undoing progress in combatting illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, protecting marine ecosystems, and upholding labour rights. This open letter from 57 civil society organisations, including EJF, urges the Senate to reconsider them.
Labour unions and civil society organisations call on the Royal Thai Government to halt rollbacks to the Fisheries Act and strengthen labour inspections of fishing vessels: Thailand has achieved notable advancements in reforming its fisheries sector, transforming an industry previously associated with human rights violations and illegal, unsustainable practices into a regional leader. Nevertheless, gaps in the implementation and enforcement of critical labour rights legislation, along with proposals to reverse earlier legal progress, pose significant risks to Thailand's standing as a leading global seafood supplier.
Thailand has achieved notable advancements in reforming its fisheries sector, transforming an industry previously associated with human rights violations and illegal, unsustainable practices into a regional leader. Nevertheless, gaps in the implementation and enforcement of critical labour rights legislation, along with proposals to reverse earlier legal progress, pose significant risks to Thailand's standing as a leading global seafood supplier.
Environmental groups commend Thai government for banning plastic waste imports, call for strong implementation: On December 16th, 2025, the Ministry of Commerce of Thailand released a notification designating plastic scraps under the custom code 39.15 as goods prohibited from being imported into the kingdom. We, the undersigned civil society working to end plastic pollution in Thailand, commend the Thai government for its strong stance on this important matter.
On December 16th, 2025, the Ministry of Commerce of Thailand released a notification designating plastic scraps under the custom code 39.15 as goods prohibited from being imported into the kingdom.
We, the undersigned civil society working to end plastic pollution in Thailand, commend the Thai government for its strong stance on this important matter.
Unlocking opportunities: potential alternative and supplementary livelihoods in Liberia's coastal communities: Overfishing threatens the sustainability of Liberia's fisheries and the livelihoods of thousands of fishers and fish workers. This study explores opportunities for alternative and supplementary livelihood interventions in Liberia’s coastal communities.
Communities for Fisheries issue brief: January to June 2024 project update: The European Union-funded Communities for Fisheries project aims to create skilled, capable and effective community co-management associations (CMAs) to secure legal and sustainable fisheries in Liberia. This brief summarises the project’s activities during the first half of Year Five, January to June 2024.
The European Union-funded Communities for Fisheries project aims to create skilled, capable and effective community co-management associations (CMAs) to secure legal and sustainable fisheries in Liberia. This brief summarises the project’s activities during the first half of Year Five, January to June 2024.
Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency: The Global Charter comprises ten holistic, no-cost to low-cost measures for greater transparency in the global fishing sector to enable sustainable, legal, and ethical fisheries. These are practical steps which any state can take to ensure that fish and seafood are not associated with illegal fishing or human rights abuses.
The Global Charter comprises ten holistic, no-cost to low-cost measures for greater transparency in the global fishing sector to enable sustainable, legal, and ethical fisheries. These are practical steps which any state can take to ensure that fish and seafood are not associated with illegal fishing or human rights abuses.