Ocean Equity Research

Global Trawl and Jig Fisheries – Cooperating and sharing information to better manage distant water fisheries outside RFMO jurisdictions

Global trawl and jig fisheries are increasingly significant contributors to international seafood markets, food security, and global supply chains. However, many of these fleets operate in high seas areas beyond the jurisdiction of existing Regional Fisheries Management Organizations or Arrangements (RFMO/As), where data limitations, fragmented cooperation, and governance gaps constrain effective management. These challenges are particularly evident in squid fisheries, including those in the Southwest Atlantic (FAO Area 41), one of the world’s most dynamic yet unregulated high seas fishing regions. Rising fishing effort combined with declining abundance estimates has heightened concerns regarding the long-term sustainability and economic viability of these fisheries.

In response, a new international research partnership has been launched to strengthen scientific collaboration and improve cooperative management in unregulated squid fisheries. The partnership brings together leading institutions from key flag States actively engaged in distant water trawl and jig fisheries, including the Korean Maritime Institute (KMI), Shanghai Ocean University (SHOU), the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS), Ocean Policy and Research Institute (OPRI), National Sun Yat Sen University, Tohoku University, the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC), and the Umineko Sustainability Institute (USI). The initiative also leverages satellite and vessel activity data from Global Fishing Watch.

Cumulative number of individual fishing vessels over 8-year period, 2017-2025. Tohoku University/Global Fishing Watch

To date, the partnership has convened two workshops: an Informal Workshop of Experts and Officials in Busan (February 2025) and an International Fisheries Workshop in Tokyo (October 2025). These meetings brought together stakeholders to share information on national flag State regulations, identify governance gaps, and explore opportunities for cooperation. Four key priorities emerged:

(1) enhancing science- and data-led collaboration;

(2) improving reporting and transparency to support effective management;

(3) building trust and sustained engagement among stakeholders; and

(4) addressing governance gaps in the absence of an RFMO framework.

Participants emphasized that unilateral conservation measures are undermined by limited cooperation, including the risk of re-flagging to open registries to avoid domestic restrictions.

The project will be formally presented at a side-event during the 2nd Session of the FAO Sub-Committee on Fisheries Management (Reykjavik, February 2026). Speakers will outline workshop findings, present national monitoring practices, outline initial analysis of fleet movements, and explore potential pathways toward cooperative high seas governance, ranging from ad hoc scientific committees to the development of Regional Fisheries Management Arrangements.

Next steps

Building on earlier engagement and collaboration, the partnership seeks to strengthen squid management and sustainability, particularly in areas beyond existing RFMO jurisdiction. Key next steps include:

  • Identify and summarise all publicly available information and data on relevant fisheries and fleets;

  • Identify and summarise existing domestic management measures;

  • Identify governance gaps and assess frameworks that support cooperative high seas management;

  • Explore development of cooperative policies and conservation measures, starting where States share common ground;

  • Explore opportunities for scientific data sharing and exchange.

Establishing shared governance mechanisms for squid in the Southwest Atlantic presents both challenges and opportunities for improved economic and environmental sustainability. Initial cooperation could begin at the scientific level, drawing on precedents such as the Standing Committee on Tuna and Billfish (SCTB) which operated informally during the 1990s prior to the establishment of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFCO, and demonstrated how coordinated scientific collaboration can lay the groundwork for future management cooperation.

Read presentations here: