Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU)

Why in News?

• Recently, Indian Navy vessels monitored more than 200 Chinese fishing vessels in the Indian Ocean, despite growing Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing beyond the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Highlights

• Most of the illegal activity is found in the Northern Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
• International Day for the Fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing is organized every year on 5th June.
• IUU fishing is a broad term that captures a wide variety of fishing activity.
• IUU fishing is found in all types and dimensions of fisheries; it occurs both on the high seas and in areas within national jurisdiction.
• It concerns all aspects and stages of the capture and utilisation of fish, and it may sometimes be associated with organized crime.
• IUU fishing undermines national and regional efforts to conserve and manage fish stocks and, as a consequence, inhibits progress towards achieving the goals of long-term sustainability and responsibility.
• India is the second largest fish producing country in the world accounting for 7.56% of global production and contributing about 1.24% to the country’s Gross Value Added (GVA) and over 7.28% to the agricultural GVA.
• India aims to achieve a target of producing 22 million metric tonnes of fish by 2024-25.
• The sector is recognized as a powerful engine for providing employment to 14.5 million people and sustaining livelihood for the 28 million fishermen community of the country.