Distant water fishing or DWF is often connected to IUU fishing. DWF fleets have advanced capabilities and have been documented to exhaust fish stocks in one fishing area before hunting further afield, decimating fishing areas, particularly in the waters of low-income countries.  

This innovation will address a fundamental data gap related to DWF fleets and inform sustainable fisheries policies in five developing economies, namely Senegal, Ghana, Peru, Ecuador, and the Philippines. ODI will visualize, define and investigate the scale, form and behavior of international and national DWF fleets operating within the EEZs and surrounding waters of each country and analyze these data to identify patterns and commonalities, as well as specific vessels. This will allow ODI to estimate the economic losses derived from distant water fishing activities and build a business case for stronger policy and enforcement reforms.

IMPLEMENTATION STATUS: Progress summary as of November 2022 (PDF)