Tuna are among the world’s more commercially valuable fish; strong global demand and excess of fishing fleets will likely cause stocks to decline if management strategies are not improved.

WWF has been working to reduce IUU fishing for years and recognizes the necessity of widespread utilization of relevant technology throughout the fishing sector as one part of the solution.

As part of the Common Oceans ABNJ Tuna Project, WWF is working onboard with vessel crews to improve scientific reporting and adjust gillnetting practices to monitor and reduce bycatch. This project demonstrated that vessel crews—uniquely positioned at the beginning of the supply chain—can be effective agents to develop best practice improvements and successfully implement them broadly.

The ocean provides a bounty of seafood, supporting hundreds of millions of jobs and feeding billions of people. But roughly a quarter of the fish caught globally is done illegally in the shadows, fueling a black market that exploits wildlife, people, and blind spots in enforcement of laws. A lack of transparency allows rogue vessels and criminal networks to operate undetected and profit off stolen fish, taking money out of the pockets of people who follow the rules and contributing to declines in ocean health. Ending this black-market trade of seafood is good for nature and people but will require an array of proven tools working in tandem, chief among them is traceability.