The Issue
Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is one of the most pernicious threats to achieving a sustainable ocean future. A 2009 study conservatively estimates that up to 26 million tonnes of fish are caught illegally each year, accounting for 1 in every 5 fish sold at market. And in the Pacific islands region, that number goes as high as $333 million per year in IUU tuna alone. Illegal fishing harms fish stocks, undermines lawful fishers and threatens coastal communities that rely on fish for sustenance and income. It also poses a critical challenge for authorities in charge of patrolling such waters, as traditional enforcement methods are costly and largely inefficient.Â
 For countries such as Papua New Guinea, where the fishing industry plays a crucial role in bolstering the country’s economy and ensuring food security, IUU fishing is not just an inconvenience—it’s an existential threat. With a coastline stretching over 10,000 miles (16,093 kilometers), Papua New Guinea’s waters cover more than 926,000 square miles (2.4 million square kilometers)—just over half the size of Australia—and are home to some of the most productive tuna fisheries in the world. The total market value of catch from Papua New Guinea is estimated at up to $113 million USD per year—with much of the artisanal fisheries values difficult to obtain—making management measures key to protecting economic returns.Â
The monitoring and sustainable management of fishing within this vast area is essential if the country’s marine resources are to continue to provide for people in the future.
Our Work
Beginning in late December 2023, the Indonesian-flagged vessel FV MITRA JAYA MANDIRI 6 conducted two voyages into an area of high seas bounded by the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of Indonesia, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau, spending an estimated 82 hours engaging in potential illegal fishing activity.Â
During another voyage conducted in March 2024, the vessel once again engaged in suspicious fishing activities, appearing inside Papua New Guinea’s EEZ. The vessel was subsequently detected, apprehended and escorted into Papua New Guinea’s Port of Madang by a Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) patrol for further investigations
With the FV MITRA JAYA MANDIRI 6 in custody, Papua New Guinea’s National Fisheries Authority initiated an investigation into the vessel’s activity and questioned its crew. In addition, authorities leveraged Global Fishing Watch’s unique fishing algorithms to interpret the FV MITRA JAYA MANDIRI 6’s fishing activities during its two voyages and better understand the vessel’s behavior. Authorities were also able to identify 22 potential AIS disabling events carried out during February and March of the same year—the longest gap lasted 42 hours and accounted for 63 kilometers.
 Ultimately, Papua New Guinean authorities were successful in determining—with help from Global Fishing Watch’s data and intelligence —that the FV MITRA JAYA MANDIRI 6 had indeed violated the country’s Fisheries Management Act of 1998.Â
The FV MITRA JAYA MANDIRI 6 has since been fined by PNG authorities.Â
