Obligations and responsibilities of flag states related to IUU fishing based on ITLOS case no. advisory opinion 21 and its impacts to Indonesia

Abstract

Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is still one of the biggest threats to the marine ecosystem. That is because IUU Fishing can damage a country’s national and regional efforts to manage fisheries in a sustainable manner and interface with efforts to conserve marine biodiversity. IUU Fishing has reached about 20 percent of the total world catch and up to 50 percent in some areas. IUU Fishing practices often use bonded labor, destructive fishing methods and deceptive actions to reap profits at the expense of the state’s local coastal fishing industry and the marine environment. Fisheries resources that should be available for fishermen are reduced due to IUU Fishing which can cause the collapse of local fisheries. Developing countries have proven to be very vulnerable because they have a large risk of being affected by illegal fishing, with the estimated total catch in West Africa reaching 40 percent higher than reported catches, such as exploitation rates severely almost sustainable management of marine ecosystems.