Table of Contents

1. Introduction pg. 1

2. Illegal Fishing Around the World pg. 2

3. What is IUU? pg. 3

4. Illegal Fishing in Isla del Coco pg. 4

5. What are People Doing to Stop Illegal Fishing pg. 5

6. Animals Affected by Illegal Fishing pg. 6

7. Conclusion pg. 7

8. Glossary pg. 8

9. References. pg. 9

10. Illegal Fishing Video. pg. 10

 Introduction
Not all Fishing is illegal, but when people fish in
protected waters or in other countries coasts’ it makes it
illegal. In Costa Rica we have had many cases of illegal
fishing in our coasts since we have two coasts at our
country’s sides. Fishing excessively is not OK for the
environment. Costa Rica is a tropical country with a lot of
fauna so people want to fish the exotic species of sharks
and fish. Some examples are: the hammerhead shark, tuna
fish, and stingrays. Hopefully, learning about illegal fishing
will make you more aware of this problem in Costa Rica
and around the world.

This is a net, which illegal fishers use to fish

Pg. 1
 Illegal Fishing Around
the World
Illegal fishing is a big problem around the world. It
affects the ocean animals and people who are trying to
fish legally. Many fishes not desired get caught by
accident in huge nets and fishermen return these fish
back to the ocean dead. Roughly a quarter of 120 million
of the seafood is stolen from other countries coasts in
outlawed fishing methods. Fishing ships now are bigger
and fishing techniques are even more effective around
the world. It is putting pressure on the available fish and
it is significantly destroying the fish market supplies
around the world . World Wildlife Fund (WWF) have found
a way to trace fishing routes, this way they can track
illegal fishing ships. Illegal fishing is basically fishing ships
fishing without permission in private waters.

Pg. 2 These are some fish in a illegal fishing boat basket

 What is IUU?
IUU stands for Illegal, Unreported, Unregulated fishing.
Illegal means that it is not permitted by the law. Unreported
means that it has not been reported or it has been
misreported to the authorities. Unregulated means that
what they are doing is not regulated by governments or by
other authorities. Legal fisherman that are allowed to fish in
certain areas do not get enough fish because the IUU is
fishing too many fish illegally. Tourists go to other countries
and buy seafood because it is a delicious, and a great
protein meal. So people contribute to the reduction of some
sea animals because legal fishermen do not get enough fish
because of the IUU and people keep asking for seafood in
restaurants. The IUU is highly profitable economy because
of the big amount of illegal fishing. The IUU can have a huge
environmental consequence because of the amount of
illegal fishing they do. The IUU destroys marine habitats like
coral reefs, also it can cause a loss of fish for the future. The
IUU can deplete fish stock to the point where some species
can go extinct. Some governments try to get rid of the IUU.

This is a IUU illegal fishing boat in Korea

Pg. 3
 Illegal fishing in Isla
del Coco Costa Rica
Isla del Coco Nacional Park, is located in the Pasific coast
of Costa Rica. This Nacional Park has protected waters
that people don’t respect. The Ministero de Ambiente y
Energía (MINAE) and the Sistema Nacional de Área de
Conservación (SINAC) are trying to help save Isla del
Coco’s fauna. Sharks, billfish, and tuna are the most
endangered fish in Isla del Coco. Some time ago on
March 30th, 2017, some park ragers found 96 sharks of
different species, (like hammerhead, silky, bigeye thresher,
and galapagos,) on a boat. They were all dead except 3.
They were freed by the park rangers. The boat also had
314 different species of fish for bait, but the park rangers
also set them free. Another case not long ago on
March11th, 2018 the SINAC found 2 sharks and 30 fish
tangled in an illegal fishing device that people call a fishing
aggerating device (FAD) that attracts fish, and they get
tangled in a net. This happend about 5 miles from Isla del
Coco. Let’s help just like the people from SINAC and
MINAE!

This is Isla del Coco

Pg. 4
What are People Doing to
Stop Illegal Fishing?
All around the world people are facing illegal fishing.
Illegal fishing is responsible for 23.5 billion dollars of
seafood annually. In Costa Rica the ecotourism
contributes with 2 billion dollars. Because of illegal
fishing some countries that rely on legal fishing for a
big part of their economy are losing money. In 2015
Costa Rica announced that they wanted to join the Port
State Measures Agreement (PSMA) in “Our Ocean”
conference for stopping illegal caught fish from
entering the fish market. In Costa Rica 20% of the
Pacific coast is protected from illegal fishing. Also 50%
of the Caribbean coast is protected. Costa Rica has a
system to track drug trafficking and illegal fishing. So
we are doing well trying to ban illegal fishing.

These are some fishermen fishing Illegally.

Pg. 5
 Animals Affected by
Illegal Fishing
Illegal fishing affects different animals. People catch fish
in different ways. One way is by catching fish in big nets.
This is a bad habit for other fishes because it not only kills
what the fisherman want, but other fish die too when
caught in a net. Another illegal fishing method is to to
throw some type of explosive in the water so fish die and
when they die they float. So all they have to do is grab the
floating fish. Some of these animals that are fished are the
hammerheads, silky sharks, bigeye thresher sharks, and
galápagos sharks. Tuna and billfish are two fish that
people fish illegally. In Costa Rica the government passed
a law that we can not fish any type of billfish. Stingrays
are also fished illegally in Isla del Coco.

Pg. 6
 Conclusion
The world is in need of good people! Let’s
help! Let’s cooperate to defend ocean
ecosystems! The sea animals need our
support! We hope you learned a lot from
this book about illegal fishing! Now that you
know about this topic, make a change, and
think before you fish! Make sure it’s legal.
Don’t support illegal fishing by consuming
fish caught illegally!

Pg. 7
 Glossary:
1. Aggerating: acumulation.
2. Deplete: use all resources
3. Economy: The wealth and resources of a country or
region.
4. Endangered: species seriously at risk of extinction.
5. Excessively: to a greater degree or in greater amounts
than is necessary, normal, or desirable; inordinately.
6. Fauna: the animals of a particular region, habitat, or
geological period.
7. Illegal: Not not permitted by the law.
8. Rely: To depend on with full trust or confidence.
9. Outlawed: breaking the laws.
10. Profitable: financial gain
11. Rid: To stop something.
12. Roughly: In manner lacking gentleness; harshly or
violently
13. Significantly: In a sufficiently great or important ways
as to be worthy of attention
14. Species: a group of living organisms consisting of
similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or
interbreeding.
15. Stock : what is left
16. Support: give assistance to, especially financially;
enable to function or act.
17. Trafficking: Vehicles moving in a road or a public
highway.

Pg. 8
 References:
https://news.co.cr/costa-rica-signs-international-agreement-fight-illegal-fishing/47509/

https://news.co.cr/costa-ricas-environmental-authorities-making-efforts-control-illegal-fishing-isla-del-coco/
58652/

https://news.co.cr/another-case-illegal-fishing-affects-isla-del-coco-costa-rica/71426/

http://www.ticotimes.net/2014/03/15/illegal-fishing-continues-unabated-in-costa-ricas-treasured-isla-del-coco-
national-park

https://theblackfish.org/Fishing_Crime.pdf

https://news.co.cr/costa-ricas-environmental-authorities-making-efforts-control-illegal-fishing-isla-del-coco/
58652/

https://news.co.cr/another-case-illegal-fishing-affects-isla-del-coco-costa-rica/71426/

https://news.co.cr/costa-rica-ratifies-un-treaty-to-fight-illegal-fishing/43318/

https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/illegal-fishing

https://news.co.cr/costa-rica-ratifies-un-treaty-to-fight-illegal-fishing/43318/

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/15/illegal-fishing-worlds-seafood-supply-endangered-by-criminals-at-sea.html

https://news.co.cr/another-case-illegal-fishing-affects-isla-del-coco-costa-rica/71426/

http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/blue_planet/problems/illegal_fishing/

https://worldoceanreview.com/en/wor-2/fisheries/illegal-fishing/

http://imcsnet.org/resources/iuu/

http://www.crhoy.com/noticias-sobre/isla-del-coco

https://newtelegraphonline.com/2017/05/illegal-fishing-eu-assist-nigeria-others/

https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2017/06/29/world-first-csiro-technology-to-crack-down-on-illegal-
fishing_a_23005410/

https://www.fishforward.eu/en/analysis-import-controls-key-eu-member-states-inadequate-barring-illegal-
seafood/

http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2017/05/countries-signed-to-un-brokered-illegal-fishing-treaty-
meet-for-first-time/

Pg. 9
 Illegal fishing
Video

https://m.youtube.com/
watch?v=Ypcm9B6o7pA

Pg. 10