Page 36 - Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) 2021

collapsed while 24 percent stocks were the concentration is around Arafura–
over-exploited in 2018. Timor Sea, Banda Sea, Savu Sea, the
The presence of growing IUU fishing Gulf of Thailand and the Bay of Bengal.
in the Indian Ocean region is a major In the above context, the challenges
cause of concern. While the primary before the global community are on
impact of IUU fishing is endangering how to reduce overfishing on one
stock sustainability, it also impacts hand and deter, prevent and eliminate
the wellbeing of countries, and IUU fishing on the other hand. They
especially hurts the small-scale
fishers. A recent study reported that are two sides of the coin and both
the estimated illegal fish landings need to be tackled simultaneously.
across the area of the Asia-Pacific Optimization of the fishing fleet and
Fisheries Commission, excluding the reduction in the effort can significantly
South China Sea, totalled 6.6 million reduce overfishing. An effective
tonnes (MT) in 2019, with a value of Monitoring, Control and Surveillance
USD 23.3 billion (CSIRO, 2021). The regime at the national level can help
study reported that while IUU fishing in curbing IUU fishing in the domestic
is prevalent throughout the region, waters and also in the high seas.

National Consultations on
36 Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI)