At a time when world fish stocks are under unprecedented pressure, pirate fishing operations are stealing from our seas and oceans.

illegal trawler off Sierra Leone © EJF
illegal trawler off Sierra Leone © EJF
Pirate fishing undermines attempts at sustainable fisheries management, causing massive damage to the marine environment and jeopardising the food security and livelihoods of poor coastal communities in developing countries. EJF’s Pirate Fishing Campaign investigates and exposes illegal fishing operations, and pushes for action on key issues that if addressed will greatly contribute to ending illegal fishing globally.
 

Watch EJF’s 2 minute film on Pirate Fishing

 

EJF is campaigning to

  • Eliminate the use of Flags of Convenience by Fisheries vessels that give a perfect cover for illegal activities by helping the beneficiaries of pirate fishing to avoid detection and penalties.
  • Press for international measures to combat IUU fishing are developed, ratified, implemented and strictly enforced. This includes the new EU IUU regulation and an international Port Controls treaty that will close ‘Ports of Convenience’ such as Las Palmas
  • Secure greater international support for developing countries that need help to combat illegal fishing.
  • Engage directly with both authorities and local fishing communities in West Africa to develop both ‘top down’ and ‘bottom up’ solutions to IUU fishing that are both locally appropriate and sustainable.
  • Empower grassroots organisations, providing training in video and advocacy that enables them to eradicate pirate fishing in their seas and peacefully end conflicts over diminishing natural resources.

 
"Sustainable and ethical fish supplies must be our central concern if we want to be able to continue to enjoy these dishes. The fact that fish stolen from poor West African countries is so easily accessing our marketplace is something that must be addressed by all of us, chef, consumer and government alike. I strongly support the Environmental Justice Foundation’s efforts to raise awareness about the issues and stop pirate fishing once and for all."
Antony Worrall Thompson - chef

Download EJF's reports on pirate fishing