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Impact through policy
To build a system that supports thriving fisheries, protects marine biodiversity and ensures all stakeholders equitable access to information requires dedicated and methodical work with those that set and guide international policy.
From the United Nations and its many sub agencies to regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) and multinational institutions, Global Fishing Watch is working through various forums to engage policymakers and provide expert guidance to bolster ocean governance. Our efforts help governments and institutions make informed policy choices that support the long-term health of marine environments and the communities they serve.
One goal above all: Transparency
To secure and maintain a thriving, healthy ocean far into the future demands strong policies on multiple levels. Our primary policy goal—establishing and ensuring transparency—serves as the cornerstone for all of our international engagements.
Our global team of experts seek to shape international policy by advocating for transparency. This involves ensuring that U.N. agencies, RFMOs, development banks and other international institutions make information— encompassing ocean and vessel data as well as the policies and decisions that surround them—available and accessible to everyone it affects. We specifically aim to:
Reduce illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and other destructive fishing practices through comprehensive measures that encompass robust monitoring, control, and surveillance, international cooperation, and capacity building.
Protect small-scale fishers by advocating for international policies grounded in transparency that safeguard their fishing grounds from industrial fleets, habitat destruction and the various effects of climate change.
Improve and expand ocean protections by harnessing open data, technology and transparent management practices to support governments with the effective designation and monitoring of marine protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures.
What we do
We are on the cusp of a revolution in how we see and manage the ocean, shifting the perception of transparency from a progressive concept to a powerful, inclusive approach to better govern our ocean. Achieving our 2030 vision will require a multifaceted approach that includes:
Establishing transparency as a key ocean governance principle through a U.N. institution:
International forums are where policies are discussed and formulated. Most ocean policymakers operate within the framework of the U.N., whose recognition and endorsement of policies has the ability to change attitudes. Outputs generated from these forums have the power to enhance the visibility and credibility of policy issues, foster political will, and set precedents for future international agreements and policies. We seek to establish transparency as an accepted and trusted ocean governance principle via a U.N. institution, leading to greater participation, equity and accountability in management decisions.
Mandating a vessel’s ultimate beneficial owner, registered owner and operator are made publicly available:
Those profiting from illegal activities at the expense of seafood sustainability and biodiversity protection must be held accountable for their actions. This requires knowing who ultimately benefits from IUU fishing. We aim to support countries in transforming their policies and operational practices so that they regularly collect and submit vessel records, including ownership data, to regional fisheries bodies and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the U.N. (FAO).
Securing a binding international requirement on vessel tracking:
To combat IUU fishing, governments and authorities need to be able to discern information about a vessel, where it has been operating and what activities it has been engaged in. By supporting key fisheries nations to publish their tracking data in a standardized format and working through international fora to adopt a robust international agreement to mandate vessel tracking, we will enable fundamental due diligence needs and support risk assessments.
Facilitating data exchange and transparency:
Timely and up-to-date information sharing is critical for preventing, deterring, and eliminating IUU fishing. However, key international and regional databases, such as the FAO Global Record of Vessels and regional fisheries bodies' vessel databases contain sparse and incomplete information. Harnessing our in-house technological expertise, we will support States to efficiently share this information internationally.
IUU Fishing Action Alliance
At the 2022 United Nations Ocean Conference, a group of governments and other stakeholders came together and committed to tackling IUU fishing by supporting the IUU Fishing Action Alliance Pledge. The pledge commits members to join and effectively implement international agreements to stop IUU fishing, conduct effective monitoring, control and surveillance, and improve transparency and data sharing. Global Fishing Watch joined the alliance at its inception and continues to work alongside members to secure support for ambitious proposals to advance transparency at the international and regional levels.
Building momentum with RFMOs
RFMOs wield significant power, overseeing vast areas of the ocean and establishing crucial regulations, such as catch limits and gear restrictions. Global Fishing Watch is committed to playing a proactive and influential role in determining how fisheries management takes place. Global Fishing Watch has what’s called “observer status” at two RFMOs—the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas and the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation. This status grants Global Fishing Watch the authority to attend meetings, participate in the discussions, and influence the policy behind binding measures for conservation and the sustainable management of fisheries. Over the coming years, we hope to play a proactive and influential role in the sustainable management and conservation of global fisheries, contributing to healthier marine ecosystems and more sustainable fishing practices.
