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Illegal fishing in small-scale fisheries is a contentious issue and resists a straightforward interpretation. Particularly, there is little knowledge regarding cooperative interactions between legal and illegal fishers and the potential effects on fisheries arising from these interactions. Taking the Chilean king crab (Lithodes santolla; common name centolla) fishery as a case study, our goal is twofold: (i) to model the effect of illegal-legal fishers’ interactions on the fishery and (ii) analyze how management and social behavior affect fishery’s outcomes. We framed the analysis of this problem within game theory combined with network theory to represent the architecture of competitive interactions. The fishers’ system was set to include registered (legal) fishers and unregistered (illegal) fishers. In the presence of unregistered fishers, legal fishers may decide to cooperate (ignoring the presence of illegal fishers) or defect, which involves becoming a “super fisher” and whitewashing the captures of illegal fishers for a gain. The utility of both players, standard fisher and super fisher depend on the strategy chosen by each of them, as well as on the presence of illegal fishers. The nodes of the network represent the legal fishers (both standard and super fishers) and the links between nodes indicate that these fishers compete for the resource, assumed to be finite and evenly distributed across space. The decision to change (or not) the adopted strategy is modeled considering that fishers are subjected to variable levels of temptation to whitewash the illegal capture and to social pressure to stop doing so. To represent the vital dynamics of the king crab, we propose a model that includes the Allee effect and a term accounting for the crab extraction. We found that the super fisher strategy leads to the decrease of the king crab population under a critical threshold as postulated in the tragedy of the commons hypothesis when there are: (i) high net extraction rates of the network composed of non-competing standard fishers, (ii) high values of the extent of the fishing season, and (iii) high density of illegal fishers. The results suggest that even in the presence of super fishers and illegal fishers, the choice of properly distributed fishing/closure cycles or setting an extraction limit per vessel can prevent the king crab population from falling below a critical threshold. This finding, although controversial, reflects the reality of this fishery that, for decades, has operated under a dynamic in which whitewashing and super fishers have become well established within the system.

In this study, fisheries violations within the scope of the Turkish Fisheries Law No. 1380 were characterized for the Mediterranean Coasts of Türkiye. For this purpose, by taking into account the frequency and amount of the fines, the patterns of violations in terms of fishing gear, region, season, region-season and fishing gear-season by regions interactions were determined. Data were derived from the Turkish Coast Guard Command' fisheries surveillance activities during 2014 for areas between coordinates of (36°00'00" N-29°00'00" E) and (36°00'00" N-35°45'00" E). A total of 491 violations against the Fisheries Law No. 1380 were considered. It was determined that the most violations were made by angling (23.22%) and the least by drift nets (0.4%). According to penalties amounts for the 2014, a total of $298,817 administrative fines were imposed. Trawl violations accounted for the highest total administrative fines (48.38%), while the lowest total administrative fines (0.17%) were for violations with drift nets. While the most violations were detected in Antalya region, the highest administrative fine was applied in Adana-Mersin region. According to seasons, there was a decrease in fisheries violations due to closed season measurement for fishing during summer. In terms of administrative fines, the season-region interaction was experienced the most in Adana-Mersin region during winter, and the least in Hatay-Adana region during summer. In season-region interaction, the most violations were observed in Antalya region in spring, while the least in summer in Hatay-Adana region. In interaction related to fishing gear-season by regions, it was determined that the highest number of violations and administrative fines occurred in winter during angling in Adana-Mersin region and in autumn during purse seine fishing in Hatay-Adana region. As a result, in short term, these findings could assist decision-making mechanisms for the effectiveness and efficiency of MCS (Monitoring, Control and Surveillance) system, which is an important part of fisheries management regime. In long term, these findings could also be used in a regional Decision Support System for fishery management with integrating with other elements of fisheries management regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recreational fisheries involve millions of people globally, thus there is a growing recognition of the immense economic, sociocultural and ecological importance of recreational fishing as a significant component of global capture fisheries. However, recreational fishing is still not as controlled nor as well investigated as commercial fishing. Although the difference between commercial and recreational fisheries may be obvious, the definition of recreational fishing is not uniform, and the issue becomes more difficult in the case of sport fishing. The clear distinction between sport and recreational fisheries is vague, in particular due to a lack of definition of what constitutes a "recreational" or "sport" fishery. In this study, sport fisheries is considered as the competition-oriented subcategory of recreational fisheries, involving a subset of recreational fishers that participate in fishing competitions. Obtained results from the Adriatic Sea showed differences between shore and boat angling in terms of the species caught and the CPUE, while a comparison of the results from competition and out-of-competition boat angling revealed different tactics and targets of the recreational fishers, which are more efficient than sport fishers. Thus, there is an urgent need for all-inclusive management in the Mediterranean region, particularly because of the social and economic conflicts that may arise and intensify with the decline of the accessible fish resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing evidence shows that conservation strategies such as fishing bans may adversely affect the livelihoods of low‐income communities, which often encourages community members to fish illegally. In this study, we determined the underlying factors that influenced fishermen to engage in illegal fishing during the closed season in the largest lake of Bangladesh, Kaptai Lake. Out of 231 fishermen interviewed, 46.8% were engaged in illegal fishing during the closed season. Engagement in illegal fishing was positively related to receipt of a financial loan and negatively related to receipt of a government subsidy and secondary occupation of the fishermen. Financial gain by selling the fish was the prime motive for illegal fishing. Surprisingly, fishermen received a 36% lower price for illegally harvested fish during the closed season (mean price ± SD, BDT 95.8 ± 64.9), when compared to that during the open fishing season (BDT 151.5 ± 64.9). Mid‐level actors secured 99%–154% more profit during the closed season. This study shows that multiple factors are important for the engagement of fishermen in illegal fishing, and therefore, an integrated conservation policy considering all causative factors should be employed to achieve more effective conservation in the region's inland waters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The role of the ‘pracademic’ comes in the fore in the interface between academia and environmental protection. This article explores the translation of evidence-based research and theoretical innovation in environmental crime prevention into ground level practice. Crime prevention as applied to illegal fishing forms the initial focus of the discussions. This is followed by discussion of pracademics and the importance of combining academic work and practitioner experience as part of applied criminology. The paper then discusses the potential role of a ‘harm prevention criminalist’ in crime prevention interventions. As something potentially at the frontier of future work, this position involves a combination of skills including site and crime assessment, interpersonal communication, collaborative engagement, and horizon scanning.

North Sumatra’s coastal and seawater represent a very large fishing potential with a catching that is estimated at 1,713,015 tons per year. This potential includes the Malacca Strait which accounts for 484,414 tons per year and the Indian Ocean which represents 1,228,601 tons per year. Unfortunately, this huge economic asset is being ravaged by a phenomenon commonly referred to as illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUUF). In 2012, the Indonesian Government issued the Decree of the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the Republic of Indonesia No. Kep.50/Men/2012 on the National Action Plan for Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Prevention and Control for the period 2012–2016 as the bedrock of national policies to comply with international and regional demand in terms of fisheries. This study discusses the issue of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, especially its impact on the marine environment in the province of North Sumatera, and the role of the provincial government in mitigating it. The study uses normative juridical methods. Primary data derived from the North Sumatera Fisheries Court’s decision combined with interviews and Focus Group Discussions with relevant staff at the Department of Fisheries and Maritime Affairs and Supervision of Marine Resources and Fisheries of North Sumatera Province. The results show that IUUF is harmful to the environment, the Gross National Product, and government revenues from landing fees, license fees, and taxes.

While efforts to reduce illegal fishing have been underway for some time, market data suggest the volume of illegal fish in the markets is not decreasing significantly. One issue that may be driving this is the difficulty in imposing meaningful sanctions. We discuss an alternative approach aimed at reducing illegal fishing. A State's open register allows relatively unassociated vessels to purchase entry to that register and fly that State's flag. This relationship between the vessel and the flag State is both a financial and legal one. The licensed vessel must comply with laws of the flag State around operations, safety, fishing access agreements, and other regulatory requirements. The flag State must exercise due diligence in the performance of its responsibility to exercise jurisdiction and control over its vessels. The State(s) which has incurred the cost and damages resulting from pursuit, apprehension, and prosecution of the vessel may have a claim for expenses and damages from the flag State if the flag State fails to exercise due diligence. By shifting the costs and harms associated with illegal fishing from coastal States to flag States that fail to exercise jurisdiction and control over the vessels they flag, such flag States may be incentivised to improve oversight over their vessels and join the international effort to combat illegal fishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To achieve sustainable use of our oceans globally, our ability to detect and even predict illegal maritime activities must improve. The challenge is that most vessels that commit illegal acts will not transmit their location and are in effect unobservable to enforcement agencies. To overcome this challenge, we have developed a method for inferring the location and timing of illegal maritime activities inspired by complex systems theory: by monitoring the multiscale spatial behaviour of those vessels that we can observe, we are able to monitor for anomalous spatial patterns that could be associated with the presence of illegal activities (committed by an unobserved vessel). These spatial anomalies are represented as distortions in the 'shape' or multiscale spatial organization of fleets, which can be quantified using methods from information theory. To explore this approach, we developed a spatially explicit agent‐based model of fishing vessels, where we examined the utility of several multiscale spatial anomaly indexes. We then examined the performance of these indexes in a real‐world test‐case, with a focus on illegal events that occurred on the Patagonia Shelf. Our results suggest that this method offers insight into the location and timing of illegal activities at sea, and consequently offers a promising tool for helping to improve the security and sustainability of our oceans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fisheries in the East China Sea (ECS) face multiple concerning trends. Aside from depleted stocks caused by overfishing, illegal encroachments by fishermen from one nation into another's legal waters are a common occurrence. This behavior presumably could be stopped via strong monitoring, controls, and surveillance (MCS), but MCS is routinely rated as below standards for nations bordering the ECS. This paper generalizes the ECS to a model of a congested maritime environment, defined as an environment where multiple nations can fish in the same waters with equivalent operating costs, and uses game-theoretic analysis to explain why the observed behavior persists in the ECS. The paper finds that nations in congested environments are incentivized to issue excessive quotas, which in turn tacitly encourages illegal fishing and extracts illegal rent from another's legal waters. This behavior couldn't persist in the face of strong MCS measures, and states are thus likewise incentivized to use poor MCS. A bargaining problem is analyzed to complement the noncooperative game, and a key finding is the nation with lower nonoperating costs has great leverage during the bargain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Justice is still an expensive item that is difficult to reach by every level of Indonesian society, including local fishermen who do illegal fishing. The criminal law policy in tackling illegal fishing which is represented in the Fisheries Law is not proportional and does not have a clear measure. Therefore, in the case of illegal fishing, a discourse of justice is attached. Related to the concept of justice offered by Thomas Aquinas, which emphasizes equality, justice, and the policy of tackling illegal fishing in Indonesia, it is interesting to discuss. This article aims to examine funds to analyze the concept of Thomas Aquinas 'philosophy of justice and to explore justice in the policy of tackling illegal fishing in the perspective of Thomas Aquinas' philosophy of justice. In order to answer these problems, this study uses a normative juridical method. Based on the research results, the concept of justice offered by Thomas Aquinas consists of distributive, commutative, and indicative justice. The essence of Thomas Aquinas' three concepts of justice is proportional to equality. Associated with Thomas Aquinas' concept of justice, the policy to combat illegal fishing in Indonesia has not provided justice. It is said that because the sanction for deprivation of freedom in the Fisheries Law only applies to local fishermen and has not reached foreign fishermen who do illegal fishing. In order to be fair, the sanction of deprivation of liberty should not apply to local fishermen who do illegal fishing as well as foreign fishermen.

Abstract Protected Areas (PAs) are spatially representative management tools that impose various levels of protection for conservation purposes. As spatially regulated places, ensuring compliance with the rules represents a key element of effective management and positive conservation outcomes. Wildlife crime, and in particular poaching, is a serious global problem that undermines the success of PAs. This study applies a socio-ecological approach to understanding the opportunity structure of illegal recreational fishing (poaching) in no-take zones in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. We use Boosted Regression Trees to predict the spatio-temporal distribution of poaching risk within no-take Marine National Park zones. The results show that five risk factors account for nearly three quarters (73.6%) of the relative importance for poaching in no-take zones and that temporally varying conditions influence risk across space. We discuss these findings through the theoretical lens of Environmental Criminology and suggest that law enforcement strategies focus on reducing the negative outcomes associated with poaching by limiting the opportunity of would-be offenders to undertake illegal activity.

Dignified justice is a grand legal theory with justifications on grounds which are different from colonial legal theories referred to in Indonesia thus far. The theory of dignified justice is based on Pancasila values as the ‘volksgeist’ or the national spirit of the Indonesian nation laid down by its founding fathers. As a country with its own identity, Indonesia should duly have its own conception of justice rooted in and constructed based on the national spirit, namely Pancasila. In the context of illegal fishing practices, the policy for combating illegal fishing in Indonesia should be based on Pancasila values, namely the belief in One God, humanity, unity, democracy and social justice. However, Indonesia’s policy on illegal fishing countermeasures is yet to fully accommodate Pancasila values. Up to the present time, among the Pancasila values, only belief in One God and democracy have been accommodated in the policy on combating illegal fishing. At the same time, the values of humanity, unity and justice do not transpire in Indonesia’s current policy on illegal fishing countermeasures. In order to materialize fisheries management for the people’s prosperity to the greatest possible extent, the theory of dignified justice based on Pancasila values need to be used as reference in policy formulation as well as in the stage of implementation (application) of the policy for combating illegal fishing in Indonesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amendment to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982 with Law No. 17 the Year 1985 makes Indonesia have the right to utilize, conservation, and manage fish resources in Indonesia's exclusive economic zone and the high seas. Such rights are exercised under applicable international terms or standards. Therefore, legislation was made related to the sinking of illegal fishing vessels in Indonesian territorial waters through Law No. 45 of 2009 on Fisheries. Indonesia's high wealth of marine resources does not run following all layers' expectations after illegal fishing. However, the juridical consequences of applying the law have several impacts, namely the impact of sinking foreign vessels on relations with foreign countries and negative-positive effects in the marine environment due to the sinking of foreign vessels illegal fishing actors.

As an archipelagic country, Indonesia has recognized the 1982 UNCLOS. Indonesia has sovereign rights in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). In the Indonesian Exclusive Economic Zone (Zona Ekonomi Eksklusif Indonesia/ZEEI), in the North Natuna Sea, Vietnamese fishing vessels often engage in illegal fishing. This study aims to examine the efforts that the government has made in Indonesia in overcoming cases of overlapping areas in the EEZ and to analyze the basis for law enforcement of the Indonesian EEZ in the North Sea of the Natuna islands. The legal research method used is normative juridical, with data collection using secondary data and analyzing data qualitatively. The results showed that based on UNCLOS 1982, disputes in the overlapping zone in the EEZ should be resolved by an agreement to determine the boundaries of the EEZ, and the state party to the dispute can hold a provisional arrangement to minimize disputes in North Natuna Sea area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global burden of illegal fishing is estimated to be extensive. Intricately constructed trade routes introduce illegally caught fish products into the global commercial market, including Australia. To date, no studies have investigated the potential for illegally caught fish to harbor zoonotic parasites. Any tests applied to fish imported to Australia must be scientifically justified according to international trade agreements. The primary aim of this study was to develop a risk scoring method that provides a scientific basis for the development of protocols to examine fish imported to Australia for zoonotic parasites. The secondary aim was to estimate and prioritize the provenance of fish, which may be high-risk areas for illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU)11 Illegal, unreported, unregulated (IUU) fishing. The third aim was to calculate the amount of unreported catch from each of the ten highest-risk countries. Scoring was conducted using seven predictor variables, which were identified in the published literature as important, within the forensics of IUU fishing, for identifying the “IUU or unreported catch risk” of each provenance. The unreported catch (UC)22 Unreported catch (UC) for the highest scoring provenances (1–10) was calculated after risk scoring. The highest and second highest scoring provenances, 30 and 67, had 39.8% and 41.55% UC, respectively; Provenance 79, which had the tenth highest risk score, had 6.9% UC. Linear regression analysis showed a non-significant association between the size of the exclusive economic zone and UC. Number of commercial spp. was the greatest indicator of UC. The analysis showed that for every unit increase in the number of different commercial spp. available, there was an increase of 5.28 units in the percentage of UC. Mean provenance risk scores and percentage of UC were linearly related. There was a 79.4% decrease in the mean risk scores between provenances 1–5 and 6–10; a decrease was also observed in the UC between the two groups (33.7% and 15.5%, respectively). The proposed scoring method appears to be a good predictor of UC, with a clear association between the mean risk scores for each provenance and percentage UC.

This study was conducted to determine the priority of socio-cultural aspect on illegal fishing occurrence in Hormozgan province using analytic hierarchy process (AHP) in 2020. First, the hierarchy of performance indicators of illegal fishing occurrence was extracted from previous literature. Hereafter, a hybrid approach, which consisted of two sections namely expert-based (15 experts of the Iranian Fisheries Organization) and fisher-based (15 key informant fishermen who had at least 15 years of work experience), were used to gather the paired comparison data. Samples were selected through snow-ball sampling technique. Data analyses were done by SuperDecision software. According to the experts’ viewpoint, the priorities criteria on illegal fishing occurrence includes economic status (with 48% weight percentage), Area features of Hormozgan province (15.33%), management issues (12.91%), culture (12.28%), and personal skills (11.48%), respectively. Whereas, unemployment (12.73%) and nonchalant perspective to life (2.9%) had the maximum and minimum importance among the sub-criteria. Against, fishermen believed that nearly 60% of illegal fishing is occurred because of two criteria namely area features (29.25%) and management issues (27.88%), while the cultural aspect (with 10.92%) has the lowest priority. The results of the present study would be helpful to the executive managers of fisheries in Hormozgan province (or even others) to decision-making and implementing the operational measures to mitigate illegal fishing.

Controversial nature of environmental crime and its modi operandi made the author to direct his attention to the problem of overfishing with its intricate phenomenological structure being reflection of complex environmental criminal activities. This work is backboned by paradox of environmental crime general presence followed by its drastic essence and "default low profile" being illustrated by the author's analyzing of overfishing criminal threat. Methodologically, right after initial general overview, the author introduces us to the devastating mosaic of environmental crime and its key segments, just like to its relations with other types of criminal activities. Subsequently, focus of the article shifts from targeting environmental crime to overfishing, as one of the almost daily and most frequent criminal activities and a factor in the devastation of fish stocks with unforeseeable consequences to the detriment of both nature and man. Besides determining the phenomenon of overfishing, the author puts forward typology of criminal activities as inevitable fragments of overfishing conceptual totality. Particular section of the paper is addressed by the author to the specific links among overfishing modi operandi and the whole range of various illicit activities. This is exact section set by the author to confirm his claim about actively presented conditional correlation among close phenomena ranged differently, in relation to some other phenomena likely linked to them. In nuce, if broader term is connected to other particular terms, then narrower term, derived from the same phenomenological milieu, must be related to those terms, as well. As an example, the author presents ratio between environmental crime, as broader term, and overfishing, as narrower one. Finally, as conclusion, the author warns of overfishing consequences and suggests some possible ways to combat this kind of environmental crime.

In marine environments, poaching can become a key threat to marine ecosystem conservation. Poaching can occur in marine protected areas and/or in fishery management areas. Unfortunately, understanding the magnitude and characteristics of poaching under community based and co-management governance schemes in coastal and marine environments, has not received the attention it deserves. In Chile, a system of Territorial Users Rights for Fisheries (TURF) has been recognized as one of the largest experiences of small-scale fisheries co-management at a global scale. Currently, poaching is one of the main threats to the TURF system in Chile. In this article, we assessed poaching of a highly valuable benthic resource (Concholepas concholepas) from TURF management areas. We estimated artisanal fisher association leaders’ perceptions of poaching within their TURFs and explore determinants of poaching for Concholepas concholepas. Poaching of Concholepas concholepas showed differences along the studied sites. As expected, the greater abundance of Concholepas concholepas in the management areas generates an increased incentive to poach. Areas that make the greatest investment in surveillance are those most affected by poaching. However, our study cannot determine the effectiveness of current levels of surveillance on illegal extraction. Results show older areas tend to reduce the levels of illegal extraction, which could indicate a greater capacity and experience to control poaching. Supporting fisher associations in enforcing TURFs and following up on sanctions against perpetrators are conditioning factors, highlighted by fisher leaders, for TURF sustainability. The approach used in this study provides insights to prioritize geographies and opportunities to address poaching in small-scale co-managed fisheries.

Mud lobsters are burrowing crustaceans that are widely distributed in the Indo-Pacific region, including the Philippines. However, they are somehow neglected in scientific studies in the country. The increasing risks brought by this pandemic further impede field surveys as mobilization is highly regulated. Hence, the use of social media platforms was explored to study the ecology and exploitation of mud lobsters in the Philippines. This study used content analysis of YouTube videos. Key terms were searched to identify contents such as 'Philippines,' 'mud lobsters,' and local terms like 'bulaso,' 'uson,' and 'urong.' A total of 30 videos were analyzed. Videos were posted from 2015–2021 from at least 10 provinces. Results reinforce the already known wide distribution of mud lobsters in mangrove forests, fishponds, and rice fields beside mangroves. Still, there were notable mud lobster behaviors observed such as 1) surfacing during the rainy season, 2) the timing of which disturbed burrow is repaired, and 3) conspecific repulsion – all of which were not previously documented. Empty burrows were also found inhabited by the terrestrial crab Cardisoma carnifex. Mud lobsters were commonly caught using bamboo traps, but some had developed unique fishing techniques such as mound disturbance and the tali-tali method. Alarmingly, this study also found the use of toxic chemicals for illegal fishing activity. This study provides evidence on the potential use of social media to study aquatic organisms. Additional knowledge on mud lobster ecology and baseline information on some aspects of its fishery in the Philippines was observed. Social media can be useful for surveillance and ecological studies but could not be used as an alternative method for in-depth biological and taxonomic studies, where actual specimens are necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article solves the puzzle of why developing countries such as Ghana are responsive to the European Union's (EU) promotion of sustainable fishing despite the fragmentation and contestation of environmental norms. Analysing the EU–Ghana interaction with rationalist and constructivist perspectives on norm diffusion, this article reveals EU counterparts' motivations for domestic fisheries reforms. It argues that although the EU exercises both 'normative power' and 'market power' to encourage sustainable fishing, EU partners are more reactive to the manipulation of material benefits associated with the European market access. By highlighting such motivations, and thus the relational aspect of EU power, this article also contributes to the EU-as-a-power debate from the often-overlooked perspective of EU partners. The findings capture the characteristics of EU influence and further illuminate the fisheries policymaking and collective action mobilisation needed for broader environmental protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: Africa; distant-water fleet; governance; illegal fishing; industrial fisheries; monitoring control and surveillance; policy; vessel monitoring system; África; flota de altura; gestión; monitoreo del control y la vigilancia; pesca ilegal; pesquería industrial; política; sistema de monitoreo de navíos EN Africa distant-water fleet governance illegal fishing industrial fisheries monitoring control and surveillance policy vessel monitoring system África flota de altura gestión monitoreo del control y la vigilancia pesca ilegal pesquería industrial política sistema de monitoreo de navíos 1463 1472 10 10/05/21 20211001 NES 211001 Introduction Globally, industrial fisheries have expanded their fishing grounds and effort to meet the demands of increasing populations (Berkes et al. 2006), leading to approximately 34% of the world's fishing stocks considered overexploited or depleted (FAO 2020). Much of the fishing by distant-water fleets in the Republic of the Congo (and across Africa) is facilitated by, and only possible as a result of, fisheries subsidies, without which fishing in waters far from port of origin would likely become unprofitable (Belhabib et al. 2019; Okafor-Yarwood & Belhabib 2019; Sumaila et al. 2016). The industrial zone (31,248 km SP 2 sp ; 93% of EEZ) extends from 6 nautical miles out to 200 nautical miles from the coastline, within which industrial fishing vessels registered in the Republic of the Congo and states with which the Republic of the Congo has entered into a fishing agreement can operate legally. Mean number of VMS locations per year categorized as fishing for (A) all fishing activity (n = 3 years), (B) time of day (day; night, n = 3 years), and (C) flag state of fishing vessels (distant-water fleet [DWF]; domestic fleet, n = 2 years). [Extracted from the article]

Recreational fisheries involve millions of people globally, thus there is a growing recognition of the immense economic, sociocultural and ecological importance of recreational fishing as a significant component of global capture fisheries. However, recreational fishing is still not as controlled nor as well investigated as commercial fishing. Although the difference between commercial and recreational fisheries may be obvious, the definition of recreational fishing is not uniform, and the issue becomes more difficult in the case of sport fishing. The clear distinction between sport and recreational fisheries is vague, in particular due to a lack of definition of what constitutes a “recreational” or “sport” fishery. In this study, sport fisheries is considered as the competition-oriented subcategory of recreational fisheries, involving a subset of recreational fishers that participate in fishing competitions. Obtained results from the Adriatic Sea showed differences between shore and boat angling in terms of the species caught and the CPUE, while a comparison of the results from competition and out-of-competition boat angling revealed different tactics and targets of the recreational fishers, which are more efficient than sport fishers. Thus, there is an urgent need for all-inclusive management in the Mediterranean region, particularly because of the social and economic conflicts that may arise and intensify with the decline of the accessible fish resources.

Abstract Illegal fishing via roving banditry, or fishing illegally in other countries’ territorial waters, continues to threaten the security, sustainability, and biodiversity of global marine resources. Yet, little is known about the behavioral drivers of banditry, and whether interventions can shift these. We address this critical knowledge gap by quantitatively surveying 82 fishers in two known port havens (Da Nang and Sa Ky, central Vietnam) for roving banditry by Vietnamese “blue boats,” before and after interventions aimed at reducing illegal fishing. We present three key findings: (1) displacement from the South China Sea and degraded local resources were primary behavioral drivers, (2) interventions increased perceptions of risk and shame if apprehended, and (3) the source of bail money (i.e., family vs. business) was highly predictive of whether fishers saw punishment as an adequate deterrent to illegal fishing. Lastly, we discuss the implications of these findings for regional policy and management strategies.

Illegal wildlife trade is considered one of the most serious threats to biodiversity worldwide, along with habitat loss/degradation and overfishing of wild stocks. Seahorses are considered at high risk as these fish represent an important component of traditional Chinese medicine but are also sold as curios and ornamental fish. On a worldwide level, illegal trade is controlled by numerous laws and regulations, but it seems to continue by assuming more dynamic routes. In the Mediterranean Sea, Hippocampus guttulatus formed one of the largest populations at Mar Piccolo di Taranto in South-Eastern Italy. During the routine monitoring of this population in 2016, a dramatic density decrease was observed. By using questionnaires and long-term datasets, the present study determined possible causes of this decline by investigating habitat changes, temperature trends and the existence of seahorse trafficking while also examining abundance trends during the last decade. The results indicated a sharp density decline starting from 2015, co-occurring with the period of high temperatures, while habitats remained almost constant. However, interviews with main stakeholders described both illegal and legal fishing activities as the main drivers for the declining seahorse density. Indeed, at one of the studied sites, which was under strict military control, seahorse abundance started to decline only after the intensification of fishing pressure in the basin. The study suggests that Mar Piccolo di Taranto could be one of the sources for international seahorse trade, thus highlighting the need for more intense and effective actions to prevent and combat illegal poaching, while threatened populations are requiring continuous and close monitoring. Due to unfavorable socio-economic conditions, a viable and thriving seahorse population at Mar Piccolo di Taranto could contribute to the revitalization of the coastal economy and the development of environmental awareness.

Many of the world's most important fisheries are experiencing illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, thereby undermining efforts to sustainably conserve and manage fish stocks. A major challenge to ending IUU fishing is improving our ability to identify whether a vessel is fishing illegally and where illegal fishing is likely to occur in the ocean. However, monitoring the oceans is costly, time‐consuming, and logistically challenging for maritime authorities to patrol. To address this problem, we use vessel tracking data and machine learning to predict whether a distant‐water fishing vessel is fishing within the Argentine exclusive economic zone (EEZ) on the Patagonian Shelf, one of the world's most productive regions for fisheries. We combine vessel location data with oceanographic seascapes—classes of oceanic areas based on oceanographic variables—and other remotely sensed oceanographic variables to train a series of machine learning models of varying levels of complexity. These models are able to predict whether a distant‐water fishing vessel is operating inside the EEZ with 69%–96% confidence, depending on the year and predictor variables used. These results offer a promising step towards pre‐empting illegal activities, rather than reacting to them forensically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Illegal fishing via roving banditry, or fishing illegally in other countries' territorial waters, continues to threaten the security, sustainability, and biodiversity of global marine resources. Yet, little is known about the behavioral drivers of banditry, and whether interventions can shift these. We address this critical knowledge gap by quantitatively surveying 82 fishers in two known port havens (Da Nang and Sa Ky, central Vietnam) for roving banditry by Vietnamese "blue boats," before and after interventions aimed at reducing illegal fishing. We present three key findings: (1) displacement from the South China Sea and degraded local resources were primary behavioral drivers, (2) interventions increased perceptions of risk and shame if apprehended, and (3) the source of bail money (i.e., family vs. business) was highly predictive of whether fishers saw punishment as an adequate deterrent to illegal fishing. Lastly, we discuss the implications of these findings for regional policy and management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine capture fishery resources are declining, and demand for them is rising. These trends are suspected to incite conflict, but their effects have not been quantitatively examined. We applied a multi‐model ensemble approach to a global database of international fishery conflicts between 1974 and 2016 to test the supply‐induced scarcity hypothesis (diminishing supplies of fishery resources increase fisheries conflict), the demand‐induced scarcity hypothesis (rising demand for fishery resources increases fisheries conflict), and three alternative political and economic hypotheses. While no single indicator was able to fully explain international conflict over fishery resources, we found a positive relationship between increased conflict over fishery resources and higher levels of per capita GDP for the period 1975–1996. For the period 1997–2016, we found evidence supporting the demand‐induced scarcity hypothesis, and the notion that an increase in supply of fishery resources is linked to an increase in conflict occurrence. By identifying significant predictors of international fisheries conflict, our analysis provides useful information for policy approaches for conflict anticipation and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptive, inclusive and effective management of fisheries resources is dependent on knowledge from multiple quantitative and qualitative sources. As technology advances, there is an increasing interest in digital and automated solutions for gathering fisheries data. Small-scale fisheries (SSF) have presented a persistent challenge to many centralized quantitative data collection systems, and frequently maintain the status of ‘unreported’. This unreported nature often implicates SSF in the definition and discussions of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Monitoring, control and surveillance are seen as a vital part of the solution to IUU fishing, with substantial investment being put into increasingly sophisticated technology for tracking fishing vessels. For the past few years, India has been attempting to pass legislation to require all vessels, from small-scale to industrial, to install vessel monitoring systems on the grounds of national security and combating IUU fishing. However, there are concerns that a securitized and top-down approach to implement vessel tracking is not only wasteful but risks further marginalization of small-scale fishers from the resource, and fisheries groups from governance processes. India should seek to solve the underlying causes of IUU fishing while also developing collaborative monitoring and community-based management models. In this paper, we review evidence of emerging information and communication technologies and approaches in SSF and discuss how, if introduced and managed through collaborative processes, they could be used as a platform to strengthen inclusive governance, increase sustainability and improve wellbeing in coastal fisheries in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blast fishing is an illegal, ecologically destructive fishing method, fatal for many fish species at large scales. Blast fishing using dynamite is preferred by the fishers, especially small scale fisheries in Turkey, as it requires minimal effort but still results in higher catches. In the current study, demonstration of 20 controlled real-time blasting results involves species composition, size of fish, catch rates, catch composition, commercial/discard ratios, CPUE estimates and clinical observations of external and internal abnormality symptoms of fish species. Blasting trials were carried out with special permission in limited numbers because of its harmful effect. The collected data was tested using PRIMER v6 and diversity indices were also analysed. For the similarity between collected species cluster analysis was used to examine the stability of the results. Multidimensional scaling (MDS) was also applied for the assessment of fish species in the catch. A total of 1014 individuals (63.8 kg) were collected and 18 fish species belonging to seven families were examined. According to laboratory examinations, it was found that blasting caused different external and internal abnormality symptoms in the sampled fish species during the study. The fisherman we had a conversation with who lost his right hand due to the blast fishing. Some observed external and internal abnormality symptoms: Quantity of mucus (shiny skin) in Sand steenbras (a), haemorrhage and anal prolapse around the anus in European seabass (b); damage to internal organs, rib and vertebral column fractures and ascites with blood in European seabass (c) and Golden grey mullet (d). Percentage distribution of the species composition of blast fishing in number and biomass. [Display omitted] • First determination of internal and external abnormalities caused by blast fishing on fish species. • The findings and statements of this study are vital for IUU fishing in fisheries management in the eastern Mediterranean. • A message to IUU fishermen: The blast fishing harms the product that is tried to be sold and you are risking your life too. • Illuminating of blast fishing: Catch and cause abnormality symptoms of fish species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Illegal fishing is a concern within marine protected areas (MPA) worldwide, particularly for threatened species such as manta and devil rays (mobulids). However, due to the lack of taxonomic knowledge of enforcement personnel, illegal fishing catch records relating to mobulids can be limited. Here, an examination of illegal catch photographs from local enforcement authorities of the Chagos Archipelago's vast no-take MPA revealed approximately 79 individual mobulids from just seven vessels, equating to an estimated 20 tonnes. This is likely a vast underestimation due to the limited detection of illegal fishing activity and species-specific reporting. If catches of this magnitude are commonplace within the MPA, they are likely having a detrimental effect on local mobulid populations. Accurate and consistent catch data recording and reporting are crucial to fulfil mobulid conservation responsibilities, as is comprehensive research on the movement ecology and habitat use dynamics of all mobulid species in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstrakPenelitian ini bertujuan untuk melihat pelaksanaan tindakan administrasi keimigrasian terhadap pelaku illegal fishing pada Kantor Imigrasi Kelas I Tanjungpinang, serta kendala yang dihadapi. Jenis penelitian yang digunakan adalah yuridis empiris. Pengumpulan data primer dilakukan dengan metode wawancara dan observasi, sedangkan data sekunder diperoleh dari bahan hukum primer dan sekunder, selanjutnya data dianalisis secara kualitatif. Hasil yang diperoleh dalam penelitian ini antara lain, tindakan administratif keimigrasian yang telah dilakukan berupa pendeportasian terhadap WNA pelaku illegal fishing, tidak memberikan efek jera bagi pelaku illegal fishing. Hambatan dalam melakukan pengawasan terhadap WNA yang melakukan illegal fishing diantaranya disebabkan personil keimigrasian yang tidak memadai guna melakukan operasi pengawasan secara rutin, serta dukungan sarana kapal yang masih kurang. AbstractThis study aims to determine the implementation of immigration administration actions against illegal fishing perpetrators in Tanjungpinang class I immigration office and the obstacles encountered. The type of research used is empirical research. Collection data are carried out by interview and observation methods, then analyzed qualitatively. The conclusion are, the immigration administrative action in the form of deportation carried out against foreigners who perpetrated illegal fishing did not provide a deterrent effect for the perpetrators of illegal fishing. Second, the obstacles in supervising foreigners who do illegal fishing are due to inadequate immigration personnel to carry out routine surveillance operations and lack of vessel facilities.

This study discusses the policy implementation by Indonesia regarding the sinking of illegal fishing vessels towards Indonesia's bilateral relations with Malaysia, especially those that occurred in Tarakan and Nunukan. Many losses from illegal fishing by neighboring countries made the President of Indonesia, through the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, took a firm stance regarding the rules of ship sinking to the accused ships that have been proven doing illegal fishing in the Indonesian sea. The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries together with relevant agencies helped implement the policy which had an impact on the relationship between Indonesia and Malaysia. In this case, Malaysia is still in third place after Vietnam and the Philippines in the data on the number of vessels destroyed by the Indonesia. Malaysia is also the country with the fifth largest fish commodity production in Southeast Asia whereas fish consumption in Malaysia is ranked first in the region. Thus, the country faces obstacles in fulfilling the need for fish faced with Indonesian policies in addressing illegal fishing arrests by foreign countries. By qualitative methods, this research reveals the background of the existence and implementation of policies for the sinking of illegal fishing vessels and the impact of these policies on the Malaysian state. International system pressure, state power and other theories were used to help carry out this research. As a result, this study provides an overview of the relationship between Indonesia and Malaysia after the enactment of the policy. First, the Malaysian increase their fish trade and sea safeguard with Indonesia, both in the designated sea area and the gray area. Second, the government of Malaysia adopted the sinking ships method due to its mechanism that is considered effective and efficient in creating detterence effect. Third, both countries agreed to release poor or small fishermen who carry out IUU Fishing made between the President of Indonesia and the Prime Minister of Malaysia.

The vibrant bilateral relations between Indonesia-Vietnam has been tested by the Sink the Vessels policy, a robust measure executed by Indonesia to tackle rampant illegal fishing that encroach Indonesian waters. The policy has caused in the demolition of, among else, Vietnamese fishing vessels; and has also led to near-clash and incidents at sea. Despite these, both countries bilateral relations were far from hostile condition, and uphold their neighbourly relations to manage the illegal fishing problem. How Could Indonesia’s foreign policy action did not further exacerbate Indonesia-Vietnam relations post “Sink the Vessels” policy? To tackle our question, this article probes to describe the complex systems that interwoven Indonesia and Vietnam during the rising tension. We argue that the complex systems encapsulated Indonesia – Vietnam relations post “Sink the Vessels” policy consist of symbol system, interest system, and role system that maintain their friendly bilateral relations, even in the turbulence ocean. This article exposes that Indonesia-Vietnam responds to tackle the problem stems primarily from the linkage between the three systems to escape the security dilemma.

Abstract Acoustic tagging is typically used to gather data on the spatial ecology of diverse marine taxa, informing questions about spatio-temporal attributes such as residency and home range, but detection data may also reveal unanticipated insights. Many species demonstrate predictable site fidelity, and so a sudden cessation of detections for multiple individuals may be evidence of an atypical event. During 2013 and 2014, we acoustically tagged 47 grey reef sharks (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) and 48 silvertip sharks (Carcharhinus albimarginatus) near reefs in the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) Marine Protected Area (MPA). From March 2013 to November 2014 inclusive, tags were ‘lost’, i.e. permanently ceased to be detected within the monitoring area, at an average rate of 2.6 ± 1.0 tags per month. Between 1 and 10 December 2014, detection data suggest the near-simultaneous loss of 15 of the remaining 43 active tagged sharks, a monthly loss rate over five times higher than during the previous 21 months. Between 4 and 14 December of 2014, the BIOT patrol vessel encountered 17 vessels engaged in suspected illegal fishing in the northern BIOT MPA; such sightings averaged one per month during the previous 8 months. Two of these vessels were arrested with a total of 359 sharks on board, of which grey reef and silvertip sharks constituted 47% by number. The unusual and coincident peaks in tag loss and vessel sightings, and the catch composition of the arrested vessels, suggest illegal fishing as a plausible explanation for the unusual pattern in our detection data. A Cox proportional hazards model found that the presence of fishing vessels increased the risk of tag loss by a factor of 6.0 (95% CI 2.6–14.0, p

Area coverage of large-scale marine protected areas (MPAs) (LSMPAs, > 100,000 km2) is rapidly increasing globally. Their effectiveness largely depends on successful detection and management of non-compliance. However, for LSMPAs this can be difficult due to their large size, often remote locations and a lack of understanding of the social drivers of non-compliance. Taking a case-study approach, we review current knowledge of illegal fishing within the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) LSMPA. Data stemming from enforcement reports (2010–20), and from fieldwork in fishing communities (2018–19) were combined to explore and characterise drivers of non-compliance. Enforcement data included vessel investigation reports (n = 188), transcripts of arrests (20) and catch seizures (58). Fieldwork data included fisher interviews (95) and focus groups (12), conducted in two communities in Sri Lanka previously associated with non-compliance in BIOT LSMPA. From 2010 to 2020, there were 126 vessels suspected of non-compliance, 76% of which were Sri Lankan. The majority of non-compliant vessels targeted sharks (97%), catching an estimated 14,340 individuals during the study period. Sri Lankan vessels were primarily registered to one district (77%) and 85% operated from just two ports within the fieldwork sites. Social Network Analysis (SNA) showed that 66% of non-compliant vessels were linked by social ties, including sharing crew members, compared with only 34% of compliant vessels. Thematic analysis of qualitative data suggested that perceptions of higher populations of sharks and social ties between vessels may both be important drivers. We discuss our findings within a global context to identify potential solutions for LSMPA management.

Protected Areas (PAs) are spatially representative management tools that impose various levels of protection for conservation purposes. As spatially regulated places, ensuring compliance with the rules represents a key element of effective management and positive conservation outcomes. Wildlife crime, and in particular poaching, is a serious global problem that undermines the success of PAs. This study applies a socio-ecological approach to understanding the opportunity structure of illegal recreational fishing (poaching) in no-take zones in Australia's Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. We use Boosted Regression Trees to predict the spatio-temporal distribution of poaching risk within no-take Marine National Park zones. The results show that five risk factors account for nearly three quarters (73.6%) of the relative importance for poaching in no-take zones and that temporally varying conditions influence risk across space. We discuss these findings through the theoretical lens of Environmental Criminology and suggest that law enforcement strategies focus on reducing the negative outcomes associated with poaching by limiting the opportunity of would-be offenders to undertake illegal activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Hydrobiology is the property of Editorial Department of Journal of Hydrobiology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study aims to answer whether the Law n. 17.985/2013, which regulates fishing in the Brazilian State of Goiás, ensures that fishing tourism is carried out in a sustainable manner. Field research was carried out in the Itacaiu community on the banks of the Araguaia River. Results show that the study area has been suffering from predatory fishing due to fishermen’s limited knowledge about the Law and the lack of law enforcement. Out-of-measure fish and protected species are caught, transported, and consumed illegally, jeopardizing sustainable local development [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-compliers typically avoid detection by authorities, benefiting from increased catch and income. While detection-avoidance strategies (e.g., secret compartments to hide illegal catch) are commonly used in the nature conservation context, they remain largely unstudied. We address this knowledge gap in three sections. First, we introduce and hypothesize the likelihood of non-compliers adopting detection-avoidance strategies in the broader conservation context. Second, we identify and categorize detection-avoidance strategies used by small-scale fishers. Third, we provide recommendations for countering detection-avoidance strategies (i.e., countermeasures). Because countermeasures are context-specific, they should be informed through systematic processes such as the intelligence cycle. If used properly, enforcement activities and countermeasures can help build voluntary compliance, particularly through procedural justice, or acting in a way that users perceive as fair and just.

Copyright of Journal of Food Safety & Quality is the property of Journal of Food Safety & Quality Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Indonesian Sea has an area of 5.8 million km2, with 17,480 islands offering a coastline of 95,181 km2, with has a large and diverse fishery potential. The economic potential of fisheries offers a substantial and significant sustainable base for national development. However, there are a number of irresponsible parties who take Indonesian marine products illegally. The implementation of Act No. 45 of 2009 concerning Fisheries is a positive step and is a basis or rule in deciding legal issues related to illegal fishing. The Fisheries Law adopts several provisions of international law on maritime affairs, one of which is the 1982 United Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and Indonesia has ratified the UNCLOS through Act No. 17 of 1985. The government through the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) issued several policies to prevent illegal fishing practices, including Improving Facilities and Infrastructure, Supervision of Law Enforcement in the Fisheries Sector, Establishing a Task Force to Eradicate Illegal Fishing [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the law enforcement against illegal fishing by foreign-flagged vessels in Indonesia's exclusive economic zone. Because the criminal sanctions in the form of fines are very low and there is no threat of imprisonment, the current laws carry little weight with illegal fishermen. This study makes the case for increasing the fines substantially to act as a deterrent. Using the established legal method (involving a statute approach and a conceptual approach), this study makes the case for increasing the fines substantially to act as a deterrent [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]