OCE-B.17.B - IUU Fishing Risk Assessment
Does the company demonstrate it has conducted IUU risk assessments across its operations and most material value chain?
About the data
The WBA Ocean Benchmark measures and ranks the world's most influential companies on their efforts to halt and reverse nature loss in marine ecosystems, tracking how companies manage their impacts on ocean biodiversity, marine habitats, and the communities and workers dependent on healthy seas. The 2026 edition is WBA's first Ocean Benchmark, assessing 125 companies across key sectors dependent on oceans, including seafood, maritime transport, offshore wind energy, shipbuilding, port operations, apparel, and chemicals. Companies are assessed on 47 indicators across four measurement areas: governance, ecosystems and biodiversity, social responsibility, and core social indicators. The benchmark builds on WBA's Nature Benchmark and the former Seafood Stewardship Index, and its methodology was developed with input from more than 50 stakeholders including ocean communities, companies, scientists and civil society, with human rights and social impacts kept at its core alongside nature-specific concerns. More information can be found here.
Methodology
IUU fishing is a key issue in the global seafood industry. IUU catches are estimated to
account for 11-26 million tonnes of fish annually, with a value of USD 10-23 billion (FAO, 2016a). To
eliminate IUU products from the global seafood market, seafood companies can, in addition to legal
requirements, put in place risk assessment procedures to assess and mitigate IUU fishing risks in their
operations and supply chains (SDG target 14.4). Companies in other sectors should have specific
commitments to ensure that no IUU fish enter their supply chains.
Research Guidance:
For this element to be met, the company must:
Have a process or a tool in place to assess IUU risks across their operations and most material value chain.
OR
Has certification that covers this topic
For this element we want to see if companies have a process or a tool in place to assess IUU risks across their operations and supply chain. Key here is that the process or assessment tool is not in place for only some products or segments (e.g. tuna products), but that it applies to all operations a company's operations.
For example: PAS 1550:2017 (PAS) and the Implementation Guide – IUU Watch, GFW |, Map, TMT - Our Tools to Tackle Illegal Fishing & Associated Crime; MSC; ASC.
account for 11-26 million tonnes of fish annually, with a value of USD 10-23 billion (FAO, 2016a). To
eliminate IUU products from the global seafood market, seafood companies can, in addition to legal
requirements, put in place risk assessment procedures to assess and mitigate IUU fishing risks in their
operations and supply chains (SDG target 14.4). Companies in other sectors should have specific
commitments to ensure that no IUU fish enter their supply chains.
Research Guidance:
For this element to be met, the company must:
Have a process or a tool in place to assess IUU risks across their operations and most material value chain.
OR
Has certification that covers this topic
For this element we want to see if companies have a process or a tool in place to assess IUU risks across their operations and supply chain. Key here is that the process or assessment tool is not in place for only some products or segments (e.g. tuna products), but that it applies to all operations a company's operations.
For example: PAS 1550:2017 (PAS) and the Implementation Guide – IUU Watch, GFW |, Map, TMT - Our Tools to Tackle Illegal Fishing & Associated Crime; MSC; ASC.
License
Topics
Framework Mappings
Value Type
Category
Options
Yes
No
Not Applicable
Assessment
Steward Assessed
Report Type
Aggregate Data Report