About the Webinar

Organised crime has infiltrated most economic sectors, and fisheries are no exception. Criminal offences take place across the sector throughout the value chain, from fraudulent catch documentation to money laundering to drug and human trafficking. The impacts of this ‘shadow blue economy’ go far beyond damaging the ocean environment and fisheries, threatening peace and security, depriving ocean nations of revenue, undermining the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, threatening food security and weakening already vulnerable coastal communities.

Organised crime in the fisheries sector diverts legitimate government revenue away from boosting national economic growth to criminal enterprises. With many countries struggling to re-build their economies in a post-COVID-19 world, this hinders both economic growth and post-COVID-19 recovery.

This webinar will launch the latest Blue Paper commissioned by the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel), ‘Organised Crime in the Fisheries Sector’. This presents the current state of knowledge on organised crime in the fisheries sector in the context of the pursuit of a sustainable ocean economy. In doing so, the paper offers practical recommendations to address organised crime in fisheries emphasizing the need for a shared understanding of the problem and the implementation of intelligence-led, skills-based cooperative law enforcement action at a global level, facilitated by enabling legislative frameworks and increased transparency. 

Join the paper’s authors and other experts as they discuss the implications of the paper’s findings for policy makers and showcase some of the leading examples from countries that are already putting the theory into practice.

This event is part of the series of webinars featuring new scientific ‘Blue Papers', commissioned by the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel).

Speakers

  • Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen, Minister of Fisheries and Seafood, Norway (Opening remarks)
  • Emma Witbooi, Director, PescaDOLUS (Co-lead author)
  • Kamal-Deen Ali, Executive Director of the Centre for Maritime Law and Security Africa (CEMLAWS Africa) (Co-lead author)
  • Mas Achmad Santosa, Chief Executive Officer, Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative (Co-lead author)
  • Sarika Maharaj, Interim Coordinator, Fisheries Inspectorate, Fisheries Division of Trinidad and Tobago (Contributing author) 
  • Mi Zhou, Consultant, International Labour Organization (ILO) (Panelist)
  • Gunnar Stølsvik, Specialist Director, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, Norway (Panelist)
  • Siri Bjune, Senior Programme Officer - Deputy Head Global Maritime Crime Programme, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) (Moderator)

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About the Ocean Panel and Blue Papers 

The High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel) is a unique initiative by 14 world leaders who are building momentum for a sustainable ocean economy in which effective protection, sustainable production and equitable prosperity go hand in hand. By enhancing humanity’s relationship with the ocean, bridging ocean health and wealth, working with diverse stakeholders and harnessing the latest knowledge, the Ocean Panel aims to facilitate a better, more resilient future for people and the planet.

In the spirit of achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), providing value to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and meeting the objectives of the Paris Agreement, the Ocean Panel commissioned a comprehensive assessment of ocean science and knowledge that has significant policy relevance. This includes a series of 16 Blue Papers that offer a synthesis of knowledge, new thinking and perspectives, and opportunities for action that serve as inputs to the Ocean Panel’s deliberations for its forthcoming action agenda.