This series – the first installment of an investigation shining light into the murky waters of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing – focuses on law enforcement challenges and IUU fishing practices in Jamaica, Costa Rica, Panama, Guyana, and Suriname.
Conducted with American University’s Center for Latin American & Latino Studies (CLALS), the two-part investigation paints a picture of IUU fishing in nine countries, examining everything from its perpetrators to its devastating effects on marine life and people, and showing how IUU fishing is coupled with other crimes. Ecuador, Chile, Uruguay, and Argentina.
SEE ALSO: Plundered Oceans: IUU Fishing in South American Seas
Investigation Chapters
Overharvesting and Poaching Devastate Jamaica’s Fisheries
Jamaican fishers, largely ungoverned, are taking what they can from the country’s waters, while foreign vessels poach lobster and conch.
High Hopes for Radar Crash Against Reality of Illegal Fishing in Costa Rica
The installation of a radar tower on Costa Rica’s Cocos Island heralded a new era for curbing illegal fishing in one of the world’s most biodiverse ocean regions.
Panama Lending Flag to Most Destructive Fishing Ships
When the Chinese fishing fleet was discovered near Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands, its vessels were not all flagged to China. Some flew Panama’s flag.
Guyana Struggling to Tame Lawless Waters
Guyana claims some 42,800 square nautical miles of ocean. Enforcement capabilities extend to just a fraction of the country’s waters.
Smugglers and Illegal Fishers Find a Haven in Suriname
A black market for fishing licenses is flourishing in Suriname. Fishers from Guyana rent them from boat owners for a few thousand dollars.
