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The worsening ecological and humanitarian crises across Ghana's coastline are inextricably linked to the overcapacity of its poorly regulated and foreign-owned industrial trawl fleet. This open letter from EJF and other civil society organisations in Ghana has been written to seek clarification on the potential authorisation of two industrial trawlers in Ghanaian waters, which would allow the continued exploitation of its natural resources.

Regulations governing China’s distant-water fishing fleet are fostering a lack of transparency that enables rampant illegal fishing around the world. Better monitoring, regulation and transparency is urgently needed.

Since February 2016, EJF has carried out multiple in-depth observations of the Royal Thai Government’s (RTG) initiatives aimed at tackling IUU fishing and human trafficking in the Thai fishing industry. EJF has observed all stages of the monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS) systems in place with visits to all 30 ‘Port In Port Out’ (PIPO) centres, all three Thai Maritime Enforcement Coordinating Centre (THAI-MECC) Area Commands, as well as witnessing multiple at-sea patrols conducted by the Royal Thai Navy (RTN), Marine Police, Department of Fisheries (DoF) and Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR).

It has now been over three years since the European Commission removed the yellow card issued to Thailand - a warning that had been in place since April 2015. Since January 2019, Thailand has gone through several crucial periods of transition, leadership and hardship including; a general election, the hosting of the ASEAN summit and a global pandemic. Throughout these opportunities and challenges the Royal Thai Government (RTG) has continued to demonstrate great resolve and resilience in addressing illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing as well as associated forced labour and human trafficking in the sector. This briefing provides detailed analysis for each of these areas as well as recommendations for how the RTG could take steps to address current gaps.

This report presents a comprehensive analysis of China’s vast, opaque and, at times illegal global fisheries footprint, with the specific aim of informing appropriate and effective responses by fisheries decision-makers in China and globally.