The CAMLR Convention and IUU Fishing

This chapter provides an historical perspective on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing within the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CAMLR Convention) area. IUU fishing has presented significant challenges for the CAMLR Commission (CCAMLR). There are several legal, political, and economic drivers behind the increase in IUU fishing globally and the remoteness of the Southern Ocean provided an added incentive. The target species, toothfish, was an attractive catch due to its high economic value—the average value of the catch on board the eight vessels arrested by Australia between 1997 and 2004 was more than $AU1.6 million. This chapter provides an illustrative case study of successful cooperation by national, regional, and international organisations, working together under the auspices of the CAMLR Convention, to address IUU fishing. It examines the various conservation measures adopted by CCAMLR and considers various other factors which, arguably, are unique in regional fisheries management: proactive and effective monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) efforts of CAMLR Contracting Parties (CPs) with declared island territories in CAMLR Convention waters; and the engagement of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), which adopted direct approaches to identify and target IUU fishing operators.