ILLEGAL, UNREPORTED, AND UNREGULATED FISHING IN OCEANIA

Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUUF) is a prevalent issue in Oceania, a vital region to the United States from a military, economic, and diplomatic perspective. IUUF activity is threatening to erode U.S. influence and poses significant homeland defense and security challenges. This thesis addresses the question of how the United States and its partnering nations can better address the IUUF threat in Oceania. A variety of academic research, journal articles, scientific studies, laws and treaties, domestic and international government documents, and non-government reports were analyzed to answer this question. The analysis explored counter-IUUF mitigation efforts underway in Oceania and, in doing so, outlined the region’s counter-IUUF strategy. A six-step strategic analysis tool was applied to evaluate Oceania’s counter-IUUF strategy and identify actions that the United States and its partnering nations can take to strengthen its effectiveness.Lieutenant Commander, United States Coast GuardApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited