ABSTRACT
In light of the increasing interest in and application of this type of unilateral trade-restrictive policy by seafood importing countries around the world (e.g. United States and Japan), this book explores unanswered questions about the global spread of this policy and its potential impact; specifically: To what extent will trade-based measures successfully spread to other countries? What are some of the processes involved in adopting such an approach? For those countries which may face trade sanctions, how receptive or responsive are they to conforming to the imposed rules? Using the theoretical lens of policy diffusion, the book draws upon the experiences of two countries – Thailand and Australia – that have had direct and indirect interactions with the EU-IUU regulation. In so doing, this book suggests that successful diffusion of these trade-restrictive policies across jurisdictions is contingent upon unique sociopolitical contexts and domestic factors. Successful diffusion, therefore, requires a recognition that policies designed to fight IUU fishing can take different forms, with different priorities and effects. Thus, understanding how policy diffusion transpires in the context of the ‘receiver’ country remains an important research endeavour in the global fight against IUU fishing.
