Does IUU fishing damage the marine environment in other ways?
The environmental consequences of IUU fishing go well beyond the direct damage done to fish stocks. These practices also represent a serious threat to marine ecosystems and habitats. In particular, fishing with prohibited methods can result in a high proportion of unwanted species being taken as by-catch and then discarded. Such discards commonly include not only fish species, but other animals, such as seabirds or turtles, the vast majority of which will not survive. Fishing in protected areas may also be the direct cause of irreversible damage to vulnerable marine ecosystems, such as coral reefs.
