Welcome to the website of the High Seas Task Force.

The Task Force was established in 2003 by a small group of fisheries ministers and international NGOs who decided to work together to develop an action plan designed to combat illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing on the high seas. The work of the Task Force identified nine practical initiatives necessary to expose IUU fishing activities, deter them and improve enforcement against those responsible.  The initiatives were set out in the final report of the Task Force.

The work of the Task Force is now completed but its members, together with new partners, carry on working towards putting the proposals into action. To read more about the structure of the High Seas Task Force and its methodology and work, click here.

This website describes the work done by the High Seas Task Force and new partners in implementing proposals and recommendations to close the net on the modern-day fisheries pirates.

Current Activities

Following the release of the report, immediate steps were taken by the Task Force partners to implement the HSTF recommendations. Australia, Canada, Chile, Namibia, New Zealand, US and the United Kingdom are taking the lead in implementing elements of recommendations and engaging other like-minded countries and organisations in combating IUU fishing. EU Commissioner Borg highlighted the work of the HSTF at the Northern Fisheries Ministers conference in Norway in June 2006.

In March 2006 an International Co-ordination Unit based in London, UK was set up to carry out a facilitation role for all proposals and for the work of the HSTF over the next couple of years. This is a joint initiative of DFID (Department for International Development) and DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs). Funds for the Unit and UK funding of HSTF projects have come mainly from the World Summit on Sustainable Development Implementation Fund (WIF). A detailed UK Action Plan can be viewed here.

We will keep you updated on the current activities via the new Closing the Net website: www.closingthenet.info. ↑