Towards strengthening and harmonising: fisheries governance and legal frameworks in the Southern African 'Developing Countries (SADC) in an effort  to combat illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing in the region

Mugjenkar, Abeeda

Towards strengthening and harmonising: fisheries governance and legal frameworks in the Southern African 'Developing Countries (SADC) in an effort to combat illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing in the region

Thesis / Dissertation

2010

Publisher

University of Cape Town

Department

Centre for Law and Society

Faculty

Faculty of Law

Abstract

Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing is one of the most serious threats to the sustainable exploitation of living aquatic resources, jeopardizing the very foundation upon which legislation and policies are based the world over and the global efforts to promote better ocean and governance. IUU fishing also represents a major hazard to the marine environment, the sustainability of fish stocks and marine biodiversity. International, regional, national organizations and governments have been tremendously active in the fight against IUU fishing over decades, some achieving success and others failing dismally. In 2001, the Food and Agriculture's Organization of the United Nations (FAQ's) adopted an International Plan of Action on IUU fishing (the IPOA-IUU) to prevent, deter and eliminate IUU fishing.1 The IPOA-IUU2 is a voluntary instrument which aims at preventing, deterring and eliminating IUU fishing by providing countries with a set of comprehensive, effective and transparent measures on the basis of which they may act either directly or through relevant Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs).3 The· IPOA-IUU seek to address IUU fishing in a holistic manner and provide a comprehensive 'toolbox' as a checklist so that States4 can select those measures that are most relevant to their particular situations. The implementation of the IPOA-IUU focuses on the elaboration of national plans of action on seven types of measures such as coastal State measures, port State measures, and market related measures.