Bright lights, dim prospects: The urgent need to address unregulated squid fishing in the Southwest Atlantic to avert a looming environmental crisis
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.
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.
Criminal catches: How to stop the supply of illegal seafood to the UK
This report from Coalition for Fisheries Transparency members EJF and Open Seas finds that UK consumers may unknowingly be buying seafood linked to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and severe human rights abuses. This follows a near-total end to checks on imported seafood after Brexit.
This report from Coalition for Fisheries Transparency members EJF and Open Seas finds that UK consumers may unknowingly be buying seafood linked to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and severe human rights abuses, following a near-total end to checks on imported seafood after Brexit.
This report from Coalition for Fisheries Transparency members EJF and Open Seas finds that UK consumers may unknowingly be buying seafood linked to illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and severe human rights abuses, following a near-total end to checks on imported seafood after Brexit.
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.
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.
Invisible y sin regular: el precio oculto del calamar en España: España es un mercado clave para el calamar capturado por flotas extranjeras en la Milla 201, impulsando inadvertidamente prácticas no sostenibles e ilegales y socavando a los productores nacionales que deben cumplir con normas medioambientales y laborales más estrictas.
Unseen and unregulated: the hidden price of squid in Spain: Spain is a key market for squid harvested by foreign fleets in the unregulated Southwest Atlantic squid fishery, inadvertently driving unsustainable and illegal practices and undercutting domestic producers who must comply with stricter environmental and labour standards.
Luces brillantes, perspectivas sombrías: La urgente necesidad de abordar la pesca no regulada de calamar en el Atlántico Sudoeste para evitar una crisis ambiental inminente: Este informe expone los hallazgos de una investigación llevada a cabo por el EJF en relación con la pesquería de calamar argentino, también denominado pota argentina, calamar illex o calamar pota,6 en el Atlántico Sudoeste, una de las mayores pesquerías de calamar no reguladas a nivel mundial.
Este informe expone los hallazgos de una investigación llevada a cabo por el EJF en relación con la pesquería de calamar argentino, también denominado pota argentina, calamar illex o calamar pota,6 en el Atlántico Sudoeste, una de las mayores pesquerías de calamar no reguladas a nivel mundial.
VSLA update brief: Improving women’s participation in fisheries governance: This brief updates EJF’s report Levelling The Playing Field: Assessing the impact of Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs) in Liberia’s coastal communities, which was published in 2024. The report assessed the impact of VSLAs on increasing women's participation in small-scale fisheries (SSF) decision- making processes and evaluated the effectiveness of VSLAs as a tool for empowering members of fishing communities.
This brief updates EJF’s report Levelling The Playing Field: Assessing the impact of Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs) in Liberia’s coastal communities, which was published in 2024. The report assessed the impact of VSLAs on increasing women's participation in small-scale fisheries (SSF) decision- making processes and evaluated the effectiveness of VSLAs as a tool for empowering members of fishing communities.
Building it bottom-up: Collaborative Management Association formation guide and lessons from Liberia : Collaborative Management Associations (CMAs) are transforming fisheries governance, empowering coastal communities to safeguard the marine resources they depend on. The publication draws on the experience of the EU-funded Communities for Fisheries project, which ran from December 2019 to July 2025, implemented by EJF in partnership with the Liberia National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA).
Collaborative Management Associations (CMAs) are transforming fisheries governance, empowering coastal communities to safeguard the marine resources they depend on. The publication draws on the experience of the EU-funded Communities for Fisheries project, which ran from December 2019 to July 2025, implemented by EJF in partnership with the Liberia National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA).
Uncharted waters: evaluating fisheries transparency in Liberia: This report evaluates Liberia’s progress in implementing the ten principles of the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency, a set of low- or no-cost steps to ensure sustainable, legal and ethical fisheries.
ทางออกลวง: เปิดช่องโหว่นโยบายการจัดการปัญหามลพิษพลาสติกในประเทศไทยและภูมิภาคเอเชียตะวันออกเฉียงใต้: มลพิษพลาสติกส่งผลกระทบต่อสิ่งแวดล้อมและสุขภาพมนุษย์ในประเทศไทยและภูมิภาคเอเชียตะวันออกเฉียงใต้อย่างกว้างขวาง ปัจจุบันความพยายามของรัฐบาลและหน่วยงานระดับภูมิภาคในการแก้ไขปัญหายังไม่ประสบความสำเร็จ รายงานฉบับนี้ใช้แนวคิด "ทางออกลวง" (false solutions) เพื่อสะท้อนความบกพร่องเชิงนโยบายในการแก้ไขปัญหาดังกล่าว
Plastic pollution has widespread environmental and human health impacts in Thailand and the Southeast Asian region, and efforts by governments and regional agencies to address the issue have not been successful. This report uses the concept of “false solutions” to highlight policy shortcomings in addressing the issue.
False solutions: unmasking policy gaps in addressing plastic pollution in Thailand and Southeast Asia: Plastic pollution has reached a critical level in Thailand and Southeast Asia. This report identifies how and why efforts to tackle it have proved unsuccessful, particularly focusing on the lack of measures to address the high rate of plastic production, the root cause of the contemporary plastics crisis.
Plastic pollution has reached a critical level in Thailand and Southeast Asia. This report identifies how and why efforts to tackle it have proved unsuccessful, particularly focusing on the lack of measures to address the high rate of plastic production, the root cause of the contemporary plastics crisis.
Communities for Fisheries issue brief: January to June 2025 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 Six, January to June 2025.
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 Six, January to June 2025.
Open letter to seafood traders, processors and retailers who source tuna from Chinese vessels in the Indian Ocean: Call to stop sourcing tuna from Chinese vessels operating in the Indian Ocean due to the prevalence of illegal fishing, human rights abuses and forced labour associated with the fleet.
How to commit crimes at sea without getting caught: So you want to plunder the ocean, profit from transnational crime and dodge the blame? This user's guide to hidden ownership of your fishing fleet is here to show you how.
Why fisheries transparency matters: Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing is one of the most serious threats to ocean health, food security, and the livelihoods of legitimate fishers. This document explains how fisheries transparency is essential for ending it.