IUU Fishing

An estimated 34.2% of the world’s fish stocks are over-exploited, according to the FAO. This unrestrained fishing activity threatens the long-term viability of coastal economies as well as the global seafood supply, and often goes hand-in-hand with other illicit activities such as money laundering and forced labor.

To counteract and ultimately prevent unsustainable and illicit fishing activity, C4ADS is driving improved traceability and accountability through enhanced transparency. We are collecting, structuring, and publishing the first-ever repository of detailed beneficial ownership data for the world’s industrialized fishing fleets, and are pairing this data with detailed trade analyses and investigations of high-risk fishing activity. Disseminating this information allows us to expose bad actors and proactively support our global network of government, private sector, and civil society partners in ensuring a more sustainable future for the world’s oceans.