IUU fishing is a major threat to ocean sustainability, and disproportionately impacts small-scale fishing communities, particularly those in the Global South. While IUU fishing by the industrial sector is more harmful on account of the size, scale and capture capacity of the fleet, small-scale fishers also engage in harmful practices – sometimes as a response to declining fish populations – which must also be addressed.
Small-scale IUU fishing can take many forms, and will depend on the national fisheries context within which fishing activities are occurring. In Tanzania for example, the issue of ‘blast’ fishing – in which explosives are used to kill large numbers of fish – has been highlighted as a major ecological concern, causing lasting damage to coral reefs that are home to legions of fish species and serve a wide-range of ecosystem services. Other common forms of small-scale IUU fishing include the use of monofilament nets with below-regulation net sizes which can result in high levels of bycatch, as well as fishing during closed seasons and fishing without authorisation.
CMAs are ideally placed to serve as conduits between competent fishing authorities and community members, so as to spread awareness and identify instances of IUU fishing, both by the artisanal and industrial fleets. CMA leadership should develop a comprehensive understanding of the relevant fisheries’ legal and regulatory frameworks, in particular how they relate to small-scale fisheries. This can be done through consultation with other fisheries stakeholders – for example NGOs, development organisations and local/national authorities.
In Ghana, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) alongside in-country partnership NGOs has worked closely with CMAs to improve collaboration on law enforcement. Regulatory and legislative frameworks can also often be found online, such as in the FAO’s FAOLEX database or on the webpage of competent fishing authorities (such as a ministry for fisheries, or fisheries commission), and should be consulted if clarity is required as to whether IUU fishing has taken place.
Once equipped with a thorough understanding of IUU fishing, CMAs can be integral in the dissemination of knowledge and best practices throughout the communities they represent.This can take a range of forms, and will be dependent on the dynamics within the community, whether through (for example) a word of mouth campaign, formalised community meetings, deployment of posters or billboards, workshops, or engagement with local radio stations. It is important that fishers comprehensively understand which fishing activities are considered to be illegal, the legal and ecological ramifications of these activities, and how they can transition away from these activities.
CMAs can also be pivotal in the detection of IUU fishing within their communities, and are uniquely placed to identify its occurrence on their landing beaches - for example seeing vessels equipped with undersized fishing nets, or the landing of fish during a closed season. They can also deter IUU fishing ahead of time, as the visibility of CMA members and knowledge of increased community efforts to end harmful practices can serve to curb such practices.
In Ghana, CMA members were equipped with high visibility jackets so as to make their presence better known at the sea front and amongst communities. It is important that CMA members remain conscious of their remit and do not attempt to arrest or otherwise harm those involved in suspected IUU fishing, instead engaging with the relevant authorities to bring about suitable and legal actions where necessary. Community surveillance tools such as EJF’s DASE app can also be used to gather evidence, including photos, videos and coordinates that can be submitted for further analysis and action to be taken.
Through their engagement with community surveillance projects, in some fisheries (particularly those in which small-scale and industrial vessels operate in the same waters) CMAs can also train and galvanise fishers in detecting and deterring industrial IUU fishing. This can be through IUU fishing awareness raising, training fishers alongside deploying organisations in community surveillance techniques and communicating user issues to deploying organisations and safeguarding equipment that has been given to communities for surveillance.
As voices for their communities, CMAs can also raise concerns about IUU fishing regulations that may be inappropriately impacting the livelihoods of small-scale fishers, or if community members are subject to violence by authorities under the guise of anti-IUU fishing action. Studies have suggested that small-scale fishers may be ‘collateral damage’ in the context of the global fight against IUU fishing, and fall victim to the relative ease of enforcement compared to that against industrial vessels.
This is because industrial vessels often hold disproportionate power and can be more difficult to identify and prosecute on account of opaque corporate structures, not using the ports of the coastal state they are operating in, and because their activities are often farther from shore. CMAs should be wary of such issues, and work alongside supporting partners to draw attention to instances of violent enforcement by authorities, or instances where it is perceived that anti-IUU fishing measures are threatening the food security or livelihoods of their communities.
