Report on IUU Fishing, Bycatch and Shark Catch

NOAA Fisheries is committed to improving fisheries management practices, and addressing illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, bycatch and shark catch. Every two years, a report to Congress is issued on improving international fisheries management.

International

A large IUU ship surges forward through the water. — An IUU fishing vessel.

Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing undermine the sustainable management of fisheries resources and disadvantages legal, sustainable fisheries. Bycatch can negatively affect the conservation of protected living marine resources. Nations that do not have regulatory programs in place to effectively reduce or mitigate bycatch of protected species caught in association with fisheries threaten the sustainability of those ecosystems or other transboundary resources shared with the United States.

The High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act directs the United States to improve international fisheries management and address IUU fishing and bycatch of protected living marine resources. It was amended in 2011 by the Shark Conservation Act to also improve the conservation of sharks domestically and internationally.

In a biennial report to Congress, NOAA identifies nations or entities whose fishing vessels have engaged in IUU fishing activities, and nations and entities having fishing activities and practices that result in bycatch of protected living marine resources, or shark catch beyond any national jurisdiction, where such nations have not adopted regulatory measures comparable to the United States. Once a nation or entity is identified, NOAA Fisheries enters into a two-year consultation period to press for necessary measures to address the identified issue. A positive certification is issued if the nation has provided evidence of actions that address the activities for which it was identified. A negative certification may result in denial of U.S. port access for fishing vessels of that nation and potential import restrictions on fish or fish products.

NOAA Engagement with Nations and Entities Under the Moratorium Protection Act

Port restrictions under the Moratorium Protection Act

Reports to Congress on Improving International Fisheries Management

For its report to Congress, NOAA collects information on IUU fishing activities, high seas shark catch data, and bycatch data from a variety of sources, including stakeholders, regional fishery management organizations (RFMOs), and other publicly available data. Additionally, NOAA Fisheries conducts outreach to nations and entities requesting information about their regulations and management measures.

2021 Report

NOAA identified 31 nations and entities with vessels engaged in IUU fishing activities or bycatch of protected species on the high seas.

China, Costa Rica, Guyana, Mexico, the Russian Federation, Senegal, and Taiwan are identified for having vessels engaged in IUU fishing activities during 2018–2020.

The following countries were identified for lacking a regulatory program comparable in effectiveness to the United States to reduce the bycatch of protected marine life in their fishing operations: Algeria, Barbados, China, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, European Union, France, Greece, Grenada, Guyana, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malta, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, Portugal, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia and Turkey. Some nations or entities were identified for both IUU fishing and bycatch activities.

The 2021 Report also announced certification determinations for nations identified for IUU fishing activities in the previous report. Mexico received a negative certification for IUU fishing activities identified in 2019, which were failing to curb the flow of small vessels fishing illegally in the U.S. waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Failure to remedy these incursions into U.S. waters led to Mexico’s negative certification.

In contrast, Ecuador and the Republic of Korea received positive certification determinations for taking actions to remedy the IUU fishing activities for which they were identified in 2019.

Fact Sheet in English Español Français

2019 Report

Three nations (Mexico, Ecuador, and the Russian Federation) that were identified in the 2017 Report for reported IUU fishing activities have since taken actions to remedy those activities which have resulted in a positive certification decision for each nation from the United States.

However, in the 2019 Report to Congress, Mexico and Ecuador are again identified for reported IUU fishing activities (occurring in 2016–2018). The Republic of Korea was identified for reported IUU fishing activities.

2019 Report to Congress Fact Sheet in English Español Français

2017 Report

In its 2017 report, three nations were identified—Ecuador, Mexico and Russian Federation for having vessels engaged in IUU fishing activities. On behalf of the United States, NOAA Fisheries will consult with each nation to encourage action to address these activities.

Additionally, NOAA Fisheries positively certified that five of the six nations identified in the 2015 report took corrective action with respect to the offending activities. Mexico did not and was negatively certified.

In April 2018, an Addendum to the 2017 Biennial Report to Congress was issued:

NOAA Fisheries has worked with Mexico to address the actions cited—unauthorized fishing by Mexican vessels, known as lanchas, in the U.S. EEZ of the Gulf of Mexico and for overfishing of stocks shared with the United States.
Based on Mexico’s prosecution of individuals and fishing cooperatives associated with unauthorized fishing in the U.S. EEZ and adoption of additional actions to address these incursions, NOAA Fisheries has issued a positive certification decision to Mexico.
As Mexico was also identified for additional cases of IUU fishing in the 2017 report, failure to sustain its efforts to combat IUU fishing could result in another negative certification in NOAA’s 2019 Report to Congress.

2017 Report to Congress Addendum to the 2017 Report

International Living Marine Resources Table (2017)

2015 Report

In its 2015 report, six nations were identified—Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Nigeria, and Portugal—for having vessels engaged in IUU fishing activities. The United States will have consultations with the identified nations to encourage them to take action to address IUU fishing by their fishermen.

After consultations with NOAA, the 10 nations previously identified in the 2013 report each took corrective action with respect to the cited offending activities and were positively certified.

2015 Report to Congress Addendum to the 2015 Report

2013 Report

In its 2013 report, NOAA identified ten nations as having vessels engaged in IUU fishing during the preceding 2 years: Colombia, Ecuador, Ghana, Italy, Korea (Republic of), Mexico, Panama, Spain, Tanzania, and Venezuela.

The United States successfully worked with the six nations previously identified in the 2011 report each took corrective action with respect to the cited offending activities and each were positively certified.

2013 Report to Congress

2011 Report

In its 2011 report, NOAA identified six nations as having vessels engaged in IUU fishing during the preceding 2 years: Colombia, Ecuador, Italy, Panama, Portugal, and Venezuela.

The six nations previously identified in the 2009 report each took corrective action with respect to the cited offending activities and were positively certified.

2011 Report to Congress

2009 Report

In its inaugural report, six nations were identified for having vessels engaged in IUU fishing activities: France, Italy, Libya, Panama, People’s Republic of China and Tunisia.

2009 Report to Congress

Fact Sheet in English Español

Related Regulations

The Shark/IUU Fishing Final Rule (2013) implements the international provisions of the Shark Conservation Act. This regulation specifies procedures for identifying and certifying nations whose vessels target sharks on the high seas. It also amends the definition of IUU fishing to help ensure a comprehensive approach to addressing unsustainable fisheries activities of greatest concern to the United States.

The IUU Fishing/Bycatch Final Rule (2011) establishes procedures for the identification and certification of nations whose vessels are engaged in IUU fishing or bycatch of protected living marine resources.