Protect the People that Protect our Seas; More Protections for Fisheries Observers

Independent fisheries observers (IFO) play an important role in protecting our global fish stock. Contracted to individual vessels for their time at sea, it is their job to document whether or not a captain and crew are following fishing regulations designed to protect fisheries from irreversible collapse. In the Pacific, IFOs are responsible have the task of collecting data and reporting on the catches of vessels often targeting the world's largest tuna fisheries.

However this job puts them in direct conflict with the people they are monitoring and while the crew may number up to 20 or 30, there is usually only one observer per ship. It is a dangerous, poorly paid job with little job security. In fact, over the past ten years, at least 6 fisheries observers have died or gone missing under mysterious circumstances. Many more have reported being assaulted or threatened.

But despite the difficulty of the job, some members of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) — the regional regulatory body — want to make it even harder. South Korea — backed by Japan — has proposed giving captains even more power over the fate of IFOs. The South Korean proposal would, among other things, allow captains to report on supposed "misconduct" of the observers and also created no-go areas where observers couldn't go but some worry could be used by the crew to hide an illegal catch or other illicit activity.

This new proposal will make it even easier for captains to pressure observers to ignore activity that breaks the law. Consequently, accurate data collection for governments and conservation organizations won't be guaranteed. And without accurate data and regulatory reporting, the health of our Pacific fisheries will surely get worse.

Tell South Korea and Japan to drop their pro-captain proposal and instead continue to work to protect IFO rights and the important job they do. Sign the petition.