About the IUU Fishing Index

The IUU Fishing Index provides a measure of the degree to which states are exposed to and effectively combat IUU fishing. The Index provides an IUU fishing score for all coastal states of between 1 and 5 (1 being the best, and 5 the worst). The Index allows countries to be benchmarked and ranked, and assessed for their vulnerability, prevalence and response to IUU fishing.

On the basis of its diverse indicators, the Index provides a measure of the risk of IUU fishing in and by different countries. The Index cannot be used as the basis for computing the incidence of IUU fishing in individual countries, or perpetration of IUU fishing by given fleets. It merely identifies areas of better and poorer state performance, and associated domains of higher and lower IUU risks.

The Index has been developed by Poseidon Aquatic Resource Management Ltd., a fisheries and aquaculture consultancy company working globally, and the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, a Geneva-based NGO network of experts working on human rights, democracy, governance, and development issues where organized crime has become increasingly pertinent.