Corruption in the Fisheries Sector: Import Controls, Transparency, and WWF Practice

Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is a huge global problem estimated to cost the global economy between 15 billion and 36 billion USD in direct losses annually. Corruption facilitates IUU by threatening effective regulation and crime prevention at every stage of fishing operations. The types and extent of corruption in the fisheries sector are vast, requiring different types of interventions at different levels of power. This paper describes three levels of anti-corruption efforts involving transparency and their successes and challenges in reducing opportunities for corruption. These lessons and perspectives can inform foundational efforts to enhance transparency in fisheries, reduce opportunities for fisheries corruption, and safeguard marine ecosystems.

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