NOAA, USAID form partnership to help combat IUU fishing

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to help developing countries combat illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing.

Through the agreement, the two agencies plan to build upon each other’s respective programs, strategies and investments to:

• Support developing countries as they strengthen their own assessment, monitoring and enforcement capabilities;
• Promote innovations in combating IUU fishing through alliances with other governments and the private sector; and
• Increase incentives for compliance and consequences for violating fisheries rules

The partnership builds on NOAA’s larger work with the US State Department and US Coast Guard under the Maritime SAFE Act, which was signed into law in 2019.