June 5th is the International Day for the Fight against Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU)
Fishing.
Globally, IUU fishing is a major contributor to declining fish stocks and marine habitat ecosystem destruction. It is estimated that IUU fishing accounts for about 30 per cent of all fishing activity worldwide, representing up to 26 million tonnes of fish caught annually.
It hurts the livelihoods of law-abiding fish harvesters around the world, at a cost to the global economy of up to $23 billion a year. It impacts food security, human rights, and the economic stability of vulnerable coastal communities where fish resources are threatened by IUU fishing, affecting millions of people. Addressing IUU fishing is a key objective of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for life below water.
That is why Canada continues to work with our domestic and international partners on the latest advancements in technology, enforcement operations, and policy in the fight against the harms of IUU fishing.
This past year, we partnered with the UK-based non-profit OceanMind on a project to evaluate the use of drones in fisheries monitoring. Working with partners in Costa Rica and Senegal, this project saw over 40 successful test flights and provided us with a roadmap to help developing countries in their fight against IUU fishing.