Fisheries Crime
Channel: INTERPOL
Date: 07/12/2020

Our oceans are a key source of food and employment for millions of us around the world, but fish stocks are being depleted, making fish a valuable commodity. Organized, transnational criminal groups are increasingly turning to illegal fishing, which is threatening food security, and the economic, social and political stability of coastal nations.

The illegal activity does not stop at fishing - criminals use fishing vessels to traffic drugs and people, because their nomadic navigation patterns and long periods at sea make it easy for these vessels to blend into the maritime background without suspicion. Criminal networks also use the proceeds of large-scale commercial fishing to finance other illegal activities.