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Plenty more fish in the sea? A chase at seanear South Korea:an entire fleet ofillegal Chinese fishingvessels attempts toevade the SouthKorean Coast Guard.The fishermen werearrested by armedunits soon afterwards.UNREGULATED FISHING refers to fishing activities inareas where there are no applicable management measuresto regulate the catch; this is the case in the SouthAtlantic, for example. The term also applies to fishing forhighly migratory species and certain species of shark,which is not regulated by a Regional Fisheries ManagementOrganization (RFMO). And finally, the term appliesto fishing activities in international waters in violation ofregulations established by the relevant RFMO.Although unregulated fishing is not in fact illegalunder the law of nations applicable to the high seas, it isnonetheless problematical. It results in additional fishbeing caught over and above the maximum catches agreedby RFMO member states for their respective regions.As a result, fully exploited stocks can easily become overexploited.Furthermore, IUU fishermen often ignore theexistence of marine protected areas established by theRegional Fisheries Management Organizations to supportthe recovery of overexploited stocks.Why does IUU fishing exist?From the fishermen’s perspective, IUU fishing is highlyattractive as they pay no taxes or duties on these catches.A further reason why IUU fishing takes place on such alarge scale is that it can often be practised with impunity.This is mainly the case in the territorial waters or exclusiveeconomic zones of countries which cannot afford toset up costly and complex fisheries control structures suchas those existing in Europe.The situation is especially difficult in the developingcountries. In a comprehensive analysis of IUU fishingworldwide, researchers conclude that IUU fishing is mainlypractised in countries which exhibit typical symptomsof weak governance: large-scale corruption, ambivalentlegislation, and a lack of will or capacity to enforce existingnational legislation.The Sub-Regional Fisheries Commission (SRFC), comprisingseven member states in West Africa (Cape Verde,