Fishing has been recognized as a manner of collecting food since the beginning of time. Not only does it add to the economy of countries, as everyone needs food, meaning everyone will buy it, but it also helps feed poor communities, should they be allowed to fish freely.
In most countries, however, a permit is needed to fish. Illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing might seem irrelevant to most individuals, especially considering that there are so many fish to go around in the ocean.
However, it is considered an international problem in the entire world. Illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing occurs in most fisheries. It also accounts for up to 30% of all catches in some of the biggest fisheries, which means that people are breaking the law every day.
Illegal fishing occurs when harvesters or vessels operate a fishery boat against the law. These laws are specifically implemented in registered fisheries, who still seem to ignore the law and fish as much as they please.
After a conducted study in recent years by the Food and Agriculture Organization, illegal fishing has caused an estimated loss of over $23 billion with 30% of illegal fishing in Indonesia alone. That’s just one country.
Unreported fishing is self-explanatory. It basically refers to misreported fishing to a relevant national authority within a country.
Unregulated fishing again refers to vessels fishing without a nationality in the country they fish. These individuals are well known as pirate fishers.
The impacts of illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing
Some of the biggest impacts of any misconduct of fishing have a massive impact on both the economy and the environment.
The government loses a lot of money in license fees, landing fees, and taxes, while the economy suffers due to there not being enough fish to sell in the market, because of illegal fishing.
Illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing also has an extensive negative impact on the environment, as too many fish are being caught, which remains an unknown statistic, considering that a lot of fishing activity, and in larger quantities than is allowed by law, is unreported day after day.
Ecosystems, especially coral reefs, are also suffering, and might even become extinct in the long-term, should illegal fishing continue.
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