Elizabeth Selig

@oceansolutions.stanford.edu
@woods.stanford.edu @ubcoceans.bsky.social ‬
@sthlmresilience.bsky.social @globalfishingwatch.org @lawofthesea.bsky.social @jesssparks.bsky.social @aaas.org @tuftsnutrition.bsky.social

Photo credit: Danielle Barnes

I am grateful for my incredible group of co-authors who brought their expertise in fisheries, statistics, data science, social science, policy, and law to this work! 8/

Our results indicate that similar port state measures for domestic fleets fishing in international waters and effective implementation of PSMA will become increasingly key to fighting IUU fishing. 7/

We identified three pathways in which foreign vessels could circumvent PSMA measures by using domestic flags: (A) switching vessel flags to that of the landing port before offloading catches; (B) having all vessels engaged in transshipment under the same landing port flag; and (C) PSMA Parties treating vessels flagged to overseas territories as domestic vessels. Credit: Selig et al. 2025

Vessels can also use domestic flags to avoid PSMA requirements for foreign vessels by switching to the landing port flag, using the landing port flag for vessels engaged in transshipment, and PSMA Parties treating vessels flagged to overseas territories as domestic vessels. 6/

We found 66% of port visits in 2021 were from domestic vessels fishing in international waters. The proportion of domestic landed fishing effort to total landed fishing effort also increased from 31% in 2015 to 46% in 2021. 5/

The PSMA requires a set of measures to monitor foreign vessels. It also stipulates that domestic fleets should have measures at least as effective as those for foreign vessels. This provision has received less attention, but it should become a greater focus. 4/

In addition, the proportion of fishing effort landed at PSMA ports also increased from 19% in 2016 to 42% in 2021. Together, these results indicate that PSMA is reducing opportunities for foreign vessels to land catches with less scrutiny. 3/

The mean change in distance from high seas fishing areas to ports in countries that have not ratified PSMA. Major changes associated with a particular country ratifying and becoming a Party to PSMA are labelled. The increase in the number of countries that have become PSMA Parties over time makes it harder to land catches after fishing on the high seas in ports within countries that are not part of PSMA. Credit: Selig et al. 2025

We find signs of progress since PSMA entered into force in 2016. From 2016 to 2021, the distance that fishing vessels operating in international waters had to travel to reach a port in a non-PSMA country nearly doubled. 2/

Our paper shows that the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA), a global agreement to end #IUUFishing, has made it harder for foreign vessels to land catches where they are not subject to PSMA monitoring. We highlight ways to strengthen its impact: 1/ tinyurl.com/yfx5t2hb

#NewPaper in Science Advances finds that domestic fishing vessels account for the majority of port visits around the world. Comprehensive inspections at port for both foreign and domestic fishing fleets are a key deterrent for #illegalfishing.

🔗 stanford.io/45LXlB2
📷 Hong Wu/Getty Images

I am grateful to have learned and worked with experts in human rights, labor, fisheries, occupational safety and health, and climate science on this project.

Tracking shifting stocks may also change the rules that govern fisher safety and opportunities for them to seek recourse and remedy as they move across jurisdictions.

Decent work in fishing in a changing climate Climate change will increasingly impact the working conditions of employed fishers, who work in the most hazardous occupation in a sector already at h…

As climate change pushes fish stocks to new places, temperature, rainfall, waves, and storms will impact fishers' health and well-being, especially as they embark on potentially longer journeys to catch the same amount of fish. We explore these dynamics in our new paper: tinyurl.com/yc669f8p 1/

Revealing global risks of labor abuse and illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing - Nature Communications Taking action to reduce risks of labor abuse and illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the fishing sector is hindered by a lack of spatially explicit data and an understanding of diffe...

Today is the International Day for the Fight against Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing.

In 2022, our team mapped the regions and ports at highest risk for IUU fishing: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Now, they're studying vessel patterns to help inform tools to reduce IUU fishing.

A group of people is seated around a table with Post-it notes and Sharpies. There is a presenter at the front of the room standing in front of a screen that displays a picture of a school of fish. The group came together as part of a workshop to generate new ideas for ocean solutions.

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Trying to channel this spring renewal energy into a new timeline and strength for tackling coming challenges this year!