World Economic Forum 2022: How data, tech can help combat illegal fishing

The seafood industry has positioned itself as stewards to combat IUU fishing, but they are ill-equipped to fully monitor their supply chains

The challenge of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing

It is estimated that illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing represents up to 20% of global seafood catch. IUU fishing has been linked to organized crime and human rights violations, such as human trafficking and slavery. Therefore, IUU fishing is a problem at the nexus of national, economic and food security, ocean health, and human rights.

Fisheries play an important role for food and economic security in many places, particularly in developing countries. Simultaneously, these nations are the most vulnerable to the impacts of IUU fishing, often a result of limited resources allocated