A Review of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing: Global Trends, Drivers, Impacts and Management Responses
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70882/josrar.2026.v3i2.162Keywords:
Illegal fishing, Fisheries governance, Marine biodiversity, Food security, Port State Measures AgreementAbstract
Fish and other aquatic resources are critical to global food security, economic development, and livelihoods, especially in developing countries. However, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing continues to jeopardise fisheries' viability and undercut global conservation and management efforts. This article investigates the idea and forms of IUU fishing, identifies the primary causes, and assesses the environmental, economic, and social consequences. It also examines current management and policy responses on the national and international levels. Furthermore, the study identifies rising global trends in IUU fishing, such as its concentration in weakly governed countries like West Africa and the growing sophistication of illegal fishing operations. The study highlights the importance of stronger governance frameworks, better monitoring and enforcement systems, improved traceability in seafood supply chains, and expanded international cooperation. Strengthening these measures is crucial for ensuring sustainable fisheries management and protecting marine biodiversity.
References
Bakhsh, M., Shehzad, A., Waqar, Z., Randhawa, N. K., Subhan, A., Ijaz, M., & Kaka, S. (2023). The role of fish in global food and nutrition security: Current aspects and future prospects. University of Sindh Journal of Animal Sciences, 7(4), 23–35.
Batool, S., Parveen, S., Javed, R., Saleem, M. S., Fatima, K., Ijaz, N., & Naseer, A. (2025). From overfishing to resilience: A global review of fisheries management strategies. Haya: The Saudi Journal of Life Sciences, 10(8), 317–326.
Blasiak, R., & Claudet, J. (2024). Governance of the high seas. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 49(1), 549–572. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-112321-093425
Cheng, X., Zhang, B., Li, Y., Lin, H., Chen, X., & Zhang, F. (2025). Divergent patterns of global tuna fishing fleet dynamics among different continents. npj Ocean Sustainability, 4(1), 46. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44183-025-00046-x
Collyns, D. (2022, June 26). Illegal fishing spurs billions in losses for developing countries, study says. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com
Dao, Y., Yusnaldi, Y., & Kusuma, K. (2024). An analysis of destructive fishing as an anthropogenic disaster in coastal areas: A maritime security perspective. Nation State: Journal of International Studies, 7(2), 144–161.
Eruaga, O. O. A., & Okukpon, I. (2023). The transnational nature of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing: Examining global strategies, punishment and solutions. In Maritime crime and policing (pp. 63–82). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003318199
Ghosh, A., & Dey, S. (2025). Pronouncing the role of fisheries and aquaculture in enhancing food and nutritional security. In Food security, nutrition and sustainability through aquaculture technologies (pp. 447–456). Springer Nature Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031)
Gouache, C. (2021). Proposed guidelines on pre-arrival risk assessments of foreign vessels: Using lessons learned to strengthen implementation of the UN FAO Agreement on Port State Measures. FAO.
Guida, R., Rodger, M., Bissonauth, V., Ragoomundun, N., Soreefan, Z., Hurnath, P., & Matthews, M. (2024, July). Towards Satellite-Based Indicators of Economic Loss Due to Illegal Unreported and Unregulated Fishing. In IGARSS 2024-2024 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (pp. 3988-3991). IEEE.
Gul, S., Shafiq, U., Mir, S. A., Iqbal, G., & Lone, H. Q. (2024). Enhancing global food security through sustainable fisheries and aquaculture: A comprehensive review. Asian Journal of Agricultural Extension, Economics & Sociology, 42(10), 60–70.
Hayashi, M. (2004). Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing: Global and regional responses. In Bringing new law to ocean waters (pp. 95–123). Brill Nijhoff.
Hopkins, C. R., Roberts, S. I., Caveen, A. J., Graham, C., & Burns, N. M. (2024). Improved traceability in seafood supply chains is achievable by minimising vulnerable nodes in processing and distribution networks. Marine Policy, 159, 105910. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2023.105910
Hosch, G., & Macfadyen, G. (2022). Killing Nemo: Three world regions fail to mainstream combatting of IUU fishing. Marine Policy, 140, 105073. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2022.105073
Hountcheme, C., & Simon, A. M. (2024). Understanding overfishing: A literature review. Asian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Research, 26(1), 61–71.
Kuemlangan, B., Amidjogbe, E. R., Nakamura, J., Tomassi, A., Hupperts, R., Bojang, B., & Amador, T. (2023). Enforcement approaches against illegal fishing in national fisheries legislation. Marine Policy, 149, 105514. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2023.105514
Mozumder, M. M. H., Uddin, M. M., Schneider, P., Deb, D., Hasan, M., Saif, S. B., & Nur, A. A. U. (2023). Governance of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in Bangladesh: Status, challenges, and potentials. Frontiers in Marine Science, 10, 1150213. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1150213
Nauen, C. E., & Boschetti, S. T. (2022). Fisheries crimes, poverty and food insecurity. In Routledge handbook of maritime security (pp. 239–249). Routledge.
Okafor-Yarwood, I. (2019). Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and the complexities of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) for countries in the Gulf of Guinea. Marine Policy, 99, 414–422. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2018.10.016
Rifai, R. (2025). A regulated fishing policy to support food security in the marine and fisheries sector. Journal of National Paradigm-Based Resilience Strategy, 2(1), 35–52.
Sok, S. (2022). Addressing illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in Cambodia: The impact of the EU’s IUU regulation.
Sumaila, U. R., Zeller, D., Hood, L., Palomares, M. D., Li, Y., & Pauly, D. (2020). Illicit trade in marine fish catch and its effects on ecosystems and people worldwide. Science Advances, 6(9), eaaz3801. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aaz3801
Tacon, A. G., Levy, J., Coelho, R., Machado, T. M., Neiva, C. R., & Lemos, D. E. (2025). Fish for health: Role of fish in global food and animal protein supply. Reviews in Fisheries Science & Aquaculture, 33(2), 319–333. https://doi.org/10.1080/23308249.2023.
Voigt, C. (2020). Oceans, IUU fishing, and climate change: Implications for international law. International Community Law Review, 22(3–4), 377–388. https://doi.org/10.1163/18719732-12341432
Zhu, X., & Tang, J. (2024). The interplay between soft law and hard law and its implications for global marine fisheries governance: A case study of IUU fishing. Aquaculture and Fisheries, 9(4), 511–521. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aaf.2023.07.001
Zuzanna, K., Tomasz, U., Michał, G., & Robert, P. (2022). How high-tech solutions support the fight against IUU and ghost fishing: A review of innovative approaches, methods, and trends. IEEE Access, 10, 112539–112554. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2022.3211799
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Journal of Science Research and Reviews
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
