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Pirate Fishing: What's the Catch?

This short film explains the impacts of illegal fishing in West Africa and beyond: depletion of fish stocks, destroying marine ecosystems, and jeopardising the livelihoods of local communities.

Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, otherwise known as pirate fishing, depletes fish stocks, destroys the sensitive marine ecosystems, puts legitimate fishers at an unfair disadvantage and jeopardises the livelihoods of some of the world’s poorest people.

With thanks to the sound studio 4AM Productions.

All At Sea

An EJF film that exposes the abuse of human rights on illegal fishing vessels.

Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, or pirate fishing, has been recognised as one of the major threats to the world's fish stocks. However, the focus so far has mostly been on the impacts on marine life and on local fishing communities. While these problems are extremely serious, there's one more that is rarely reported: human rights violations. Escaping regulatory checks on their catches, IUU vessel operators frequently get away with seriously abusing the human rights of their crews.

In this film, we look at the conditions in which people on board vessels that engage in pirate fishing live and work.

All at Sea was screened at the 13th UN Association Film Festival in 2010.

Soundtrack by Tom Strang.

With thanks to the sound studio 4AM Productions.

All At Sea (Short Version)

Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, or pirate fishing, has been recognised as one of the major threats to the world's fish stocks. However, the focus so far has mostly been on the impacts on marine life and on local fishing communities. While these problems are extremely serious, there's one more that is rarely reported: human rights violations. Escaping regulatory checks on their catches, IUU vessel operators frequently get away with seriously abusing the human rights of their crews. In this film, we look at the conditions in which people on board vessels that engage in pirate fishing live and work.

All at Sea was screened at the 13th UN Association Film Festival in 2010.

Soundtrack by Tom Strang.

With thanks to the sound studio 4AM Productions.

Plunder of the Oceans - EJF at the Frontline Club

(Audio only)

EJF's Ocean Campaigner Andy Hickman speaks at the Frontline Club on the 7th June. Short film screening of Deadly Catch, followed by a discussion with an expert panel and audience Q&A. Chaired by Tom Clarke, science correspondent Channel 4 News. Domitilla Senni, policy adviser to the Pew Environment Group since 2006. John Pearce is a Senior Consultant at MRAG Ltd.

One of the single biggest factors in ocean degradation is overfishing. Fish stocks have declined dramatically, with as much as 90% of big fish gone in some parts of the global ocean. More than one billion people rely on fish as their main source of protein globally. As catches decline and quotas and rules are tightened in response, there has been a huge increase in illegal, unreported or unregulated (IUU) or “pirate” fishing.

Pirate fishing is estimated to make up almost one-fifth of the global catch, and respects neither national boundaries nor international attempts to manage ocean resources. The recent seizure of £4 million worth of seafood in the Spanish port of Las Palmas, allegedly caught illegally in west African waters and headed for dinner tables in Europe, serves to highlight this growing criminal trade, which exploits lax regulations at ports and on the high seas, and often involves serious human rights infringements.

European Commissioner's Speech

Ms. Maria Damanaki, European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, during her keynote speech at the Global Fight Against IUU Fishing Event, Brussels 5th November 2013.