The security implications of fisheries (vol 95, pg 1019, 2019)

Although frequently ignored in discussion of ocean security, fisheries have had central security implications throughout history. This article re-centres fisheries issues as both a cause and effect of security conflicts, and examines the implications of this re-framing for addressing this intersection. Underlying the security concerns that arise related to fisheries is depletion of global fish stocks. When stocks are overfished or not well managed, fishing vessels move to other areas, where they are more likely to come into conflict with each other and to threaten vulnerable stocks that some populations rely on, and states will claim or defend more ocean territory. These issues are explored here with four sets of security crises that can be best understood by examining the underlying or contributing aspect of fishery depletion: Conflicts over sovereignty of small maritime islands, the rise of Somali maritime piracy, the 'fish wars' between otherwise friendly states in the middle and latter parts of the twentieth century, and the human insecurity represented by slavery-like conditions aboard some fishing vessels. Understanding the security implications of fisheries grants new reason and new approaches-ideally multi-jurisdictional, transnational and focused on capacity-building-to better protect fisheries and prevent security threats. © 2019 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Royal Institute of International Affairs. All rights reserved.