WCPFC IUU Vessel List
An IUU vessel list is a critical management and enforcement tool used by Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) to combat Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. Its primary purposes span deterrence, transparency, and cooperation across jurisdictions.
The IUU vessel list is part of a broader compliance framework, including a vessel monitoring system (VMS), observer programs, catch documentation schemes, and port State measures. It provides a mechanism for non-flag States (e.g., port States, market States) to support RFMO objectives even if they are not directly involved in enforcement at sea. An IUU vessel list also acts as a compliance signal to the marketplace, investors, and insurers.
The WCPFC has adopted a process to establish a list of vessels engaged in fishing activities for species covered by the Convention within the Convention Area in a manner which has undermined the effectiveness of the WCPF Convention and the WCPFC measures in force. Details of WCPFC's process for establishing an IUU vessel list are contained in a Conservation and Management Measure.
The current WCPFC IUU list can be found by clicking on the following link: WCPFC IUU vessel list for 2025.
Other RFMO IUU Vessel Lists:
- Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)
- Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT)
- Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC)
- Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC)
- International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT)
- North Pacific Anadramous Fish Commission (NPAFC)
- North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC)
- South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO)