Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the Arctic

[4][5][2][6] The complexity of the issue, the remoteness of the region and the vast expenditures needed to conduct research in the Arctic are likely causes for this lack of knowledge.

Scholars dealing with IUU in the Arctic often investigates a few subsets of species such as cod and haddock[2] or the king crab.

[8] HaddockBetween 2002 and 2008 ICES estimates that between 3.7% and 25.4% of the landing of haddocks from the Russian and Norwegian parts of the Barents Sea was unreported.

[12] The United States' 2023 Report to Congress identified seven nations and entities involved in IUU fishing, highlighting the global nature of the problem and the need for international cooperation to address it.

[18] Several scholars do not consider the UNCLOS as adequate to secure fisheries in the Arctic high seas from IUU.

[28] The Agreement to Prevent Unregulated High Seas Fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean came into force in June 2021.

[29] To diminish IUU fishing in the Arctic some RFMO's have established Port State Control measures and blacklisted vessels known for not observing national and international law.

[35] The Norwegian Coast Guard is responsible for enforcing the rules regarding IUU fishing together with the Directorate of Fisheries.