Does your work focus on addressing illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing? Are you concerned that corruption is driving negative outcomes? This page outlines three steps to start building anti-corruption approaches into your conservation programming.
Whether you have decades of experience or are new to the field, you may not know exactly where corruption risks lie, how they might be influencing your conservation outcomes, and what can be done about them. Start by taking the 90-minute eCourse below.
This course introduces basic learning from anti-corruption research and practice to help break down the concept of corruption and expand understanding of the ways that it can be addressed in conservation programming. Case studies are included from the wildlife, forests, and fisheries sectors, based on real-world experiences.
Best results will come from layering interventions at multiple risk points. The first step is to think about who has power in your implementing context. You can then start to identify drivers and facilitators of corruption and entry points for—as well as limitations on—change. The resources below will help you to ask the right questions and identify those risk points.
Learn more about assessing the threats that corruption may pose to conservation objectives and identify responses that are appropriate to your specific context.
Consider whether some of the programming avenues below would help to address your challenges. Take a moment to read these principles for getting started from recent experience testing anti-corruption approaches in various contexts.
Remember: Evidence suggests that targeting corruption through multiple approaches yields best results.
Prevent flag hopping and laundering of illicit seafood into supply chains
Explore the Supply Chains Guide
Strengthen integrity in law enforcement and the judiciary
Explore the Law Enforcement & Criminal Justice Guide
Interrupt illicit financial flows and advocate for beneficial ownership transparency
Explore the Illicit Financial Flows Guide
Include diverse stakeholders in fisheries management
Explore the Communities & Inclusion Guide
Empower the public as allies against IUU fishing
Explore the Open Governance Guide
Integrate behavioral change approaches
Explore the Social Norms & Behavior Change Guide
© Klyaksun / Vecteezy
In Peru, IUU fishing creates challenges for fishers, the government, and buyers and sellers of fish, while also threatening the country’s marine resources. An estimated 60% of Peru’s artisanal fishing vessels are informal or illegal. WWF Peru developed an electronic permitting app to enable small-scale fisheries to more easily obtain relevant permits and reduce instances of bribe paying. In 2021-2022, the app was rolled out to fisheries in three cities who were provided support throughout the life of the pilot. Effectiveness was assessed using participatory methods to collect the experiences of fishers. Risk mitigation measures were taken to support the anonymity of participants in data collection. In 2023, additional work will identify wider corruption risks in Peruvian fisheries, engage national stakeholders to consider appropriate responses, and expand technology-enabled solutions to more industry sector and official processes (TNRC Pilot 2021-2023).
© Luis Barreto / WWF-UK
Connect with anti-corruption experts and others in the conservation community who could be strong partners or advisors by joining a working group in the Countering Environmental Corruption Practitioners Forum.
Image attribution: © naturepl.com / Jen Guyton / WWF; © Brian J. Skerry / National Geographic Stock / WWF; © Georgina Goodwin / Shoot The Earth / WWF-UK; © Hkun Lat / WWF-Aus
