ABSTRACT
In recent years, the international community has been faced with increased illegal, unregulated or unreported (IUU) fishing problems, 1 which occur in all capture areas. The problems include the practice of vessels re-flagging to escape from flag-State controls, unregulated high seas fishing activities occurring outside the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), insufficiently selective fishing gear, and lack of sufficient cooperation between States. The increasing problem of unregulated fishing on the high seas, including the practice of re-flagging vessels or registering vessels in countries that operate open registers, are contributory factors in the depletion of marine resources.
