Bringing contextual reality to IUU fishing

The illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing terminology, as presented in the International Plan of Action to Prevent, Deter, and Eliminate IUU Fishing (IPOA-IUU), is often scrutinised for its vague and conflated nature. As a result, although internationally recognised and widely used, it is often difficult to conceptualise and operationalise across scales. Through key informant semi-structured interviews, this study aimed to gain expert insights into the current usage of the term IUU fishing and the potential issues this may present. We found the interpretation and application of the term to vary, depending upon the context in which it is used. Moreover, four inherent misconceptions regarding IUU fishing emerged, which may hinder effective and equitable management towards ocean sustainability: 1) only large-scale industrial fishing fleets partake in illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing activity; 2) the drivers and consequences of IUU fishing are restricted to stealing fish; 3) the applicability of IUU fishing as a clear-cut illegal activity is universal across scales; and 4) IUU fishing is the sole driver of unsustainable fisheries. Consequently, IUU fishing responses may become hampered by a high-level catch-all view that disregards intrinsic complexities and context-specificities. To move away from this reductionist perspective, we recommend that IUU be used sparingly, with a move towards focusing on its three discrete components - illegal fishing, unreported fishing, and unregulated fishing. By applying a problem-oriented approach, we may then be able to gain a contextualised understanding of nuanced problems, which can inform practical and tailored management across relevant spatiotemporal scales.