South Africa's implementation of the European community regulation to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing
Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing has become a worldwide challenge facing fisheries in the 21st century. IUU fishing has the effect of undermining existing management and conservation measures at a national, regional or international level. In addition, IUU also defeats the purpose of stock rebuilding initiatives, thereby resulting in untold economic, social and ecological losses, making sustainable use an impossible goal. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAQ) 50 percent of the world's wild fish stocks are fully exploited, with 32 percent being over exploited, depleted or recovering from depletion. The proportion of underexploited or moderately exploited fish stocks is around 18 percent. With an ever increasing world population, the demand for protein sources continues to outstrip the supply, hence placing very heavy demands on already dwindling fish resources. The added demands on fisheries by IUU fishing is growing cause for concern. Since fishing is largely an economic activity, IUU fishing is by implication driven by economic factors.
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
Institute of Marine and Environmental Law