Drivers and Impacts of Distant Water Fleets on National Fisheries and Fisherfolk in Priority USAID Geographies: A research agenda for responsive action

USAID recognizes the importance of science-based, collaborative management in ways that reflect ecological realities and social fairness. The Agency has implemented various programs aimed at addressing key fisheries issues, including expanding transparency and traceability in seafood supply chains to counter illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Industrial distant water fleets (DWFs) have been identified as one of the threats to fisheries sustainability that can be mitigated through broader efforts to improve scientific, governance, and enforcement capacities and informed, organized constituencies. However, some USAID Missions have started to identify DWFs as a more direct and significant impediment to improving the management of national fisheries. China's multi-prong engagement in fisheries has been identified as a significant confounding driver to improved management in some contexts, resulting from its large, heavily subsidized DWF; voracious demand for seafood; and other development investments and diplomatic engagements. Research has shown that DWFs can have significant ecological, economic, and social impacts on national fisheries and fisherfolk. For example, a study in Ghana found that DWFs were responsible for a significant portion of the country's IUU fishing, resulting in overfishing and depletion of fish stocks. Another study in Senegal found that DWFs were involved in human rights abuses, including forced labor and violence against fishermen. To address the impacts of DWFs on national fisheries and fisherfolk, USAID has identified four research priorities: characterizing the scale, form, and impacts of DWFs on national fisheries and fisherfolk; barriers to national and regional enforcement of illegal activities by DWFs operating in national Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs); transparency and sustainability in licensing and supply chains associated with DWF activity in national EEZs; and opportunities to develop or strengthen effective alliances of organizations that collectively take actions to deter illegal or unsustainable fishing practices by DWFs. Research Area 1 focuses on characterizing the scale, form, and impacts of DWFs on national fisheries and fisherfolk. This includes identifying the main forms of illegal fishing by DWFs, such as licensing, gear, and area, as well as the ecological and economic costs of these activities. Research Area 2 examines the barriers to national and regional enforcement of illegal activities by DWFs operating in national EEZs, including the most significant barriers to national enforcement and the strengths and weaknesses of regional arrangements for information sharing and coordinated enforcement action. Research Area 3 investigates transparency and sustainability in licensing and supply chains associated with DWF activity in national EEZs. This includes examining how licensing decisions for foreign fleets are currently made, what information about this process or the resulting decisions is publicly available, and whether there are good practices around licensing transparency that could be useful in this geography. Research Area 4 explores opportunities to develop or strengthen effective alliances of organizations that collectively take actions to deter illegal or unsustainable fishing practices by DWFs, including identifying other organizations with shared interests and influence with the national government. Overall, the research agenda aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the impacts of DWFs on national fisheries and fisherfolk and to identify effective strategies for mitigating these impacts. By addressing the complex issues surrounding DWFs, USAID can support responsive action and promote sustainable fisheries management in priority geographies.