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    Fishery Pressure in the High Seas

    Areas beyond national jurisdiction, typically known as the high seas, are a highly vulnerable due to their remoteness and lack of protection in the form of marine protected areas or country boundaries. Fishing pressure is regulated through international treaties but compliance can be difficult to monitor and enforce. This metric quantifies the intensity of fishing activities conducted in the high seas, and is essential for understanding the impact of global fishing efforts on marine biodiversity and the sustainability of fish stocks in international waters. High fishing pressure on the high seas often leads to species overexploitation, including some migratory species or those straddling multiple regulatory zones, complicating conservation and management efforts. A higher score indicates lower fishing pressure in the high seas.

    Managing fishery pressure on the high seas is challenging due to the lack of comprehensive international regulatory frameworks and the difficulties in enforcing sustainable fishing practices in these vast, remote areas. To address these challenges, global cooperation is crucial, involving stricter regulation, enhanced monitoring and reporting systems, and the adoption of sustainable fishing quotas. Such measures are vital for reducing overfishing, supporting the recovery of depleted fish stocks, and ensuring the long-term health and productivity of global marine ecosystems.

    The higher the score, the better the country ranks for this parameter.

    The table is sorted from the highest score to the lowest:

    Rank Country Score Change
    1
    Albania    		 100 N/A
    2
    Algeria    		 100 N/A
    3
    Angola    		 100 N/A
    4
    Antigua and Barbuda    		 100 N/A
    5
    Argentina    		 100 N/A
    6
    Australia    		 100 N/A
    7
    Azerbaijan    		 100 N/A
    8
    Bahamas    		 100 N/A
    9
    Bahrain    		 100 N/A
    10
    Bangladesh    		 100 N/A
    11
    Barbados    		 100 N/A
    12
    Belgium    		 100 N/A
    13
    Belize    		 100 N/A
    14
    Benin    		 100 N/A
    15
    Bosnia and Herz.    		 100 N/A
    16
    Brazil    		 100 N/A
    17
    Brunei    		 100 N/A
    18
    Bulgaria    		 100 N/A
    19
    Cape Verde    		 100 N/A
    20
    Cambodia    		 100 N/A
    21
    Cameroon    		 100 N/A
    22
    Canada    		 100 N/A
    23
    Chile    		 100 N/A
    24
    Colombia    		 100 N/A
    25
    Comoros    		 100 N/A
    26
    Congo    		 100 N/A
    27
    Costa Rica    		 100 N/A
    28
    Croatia    		 100 N/A
    29
    Cuba    		 100 N/A
    30
    Cyprus    		 100 N/A
    31
    DR Congo    		 100 N/A
    32
    Denmark    		 100 N/A
    33
    Djibouti    		 100 N/A
    34
    Dominica    		 100 N/A
    35
    Dominican Republic    		 100 N/A
    36
    East Timor    		 100 N/A
    37
    Egypt    		 100 N/A
    38
    El Salvador    		 100 N/A
    39
    Equatorial Guinea    		 100 N/A
    40
    Eritrea    		 100 N/A
    41
    Estonia    		 100 N/A
    42
    Fiji    		 100 N/A
    43
    Finland    		 100 N/A
    44
    France    		 100 N/A
    45
    Gabon    		 100 N/A
    46
    Gambia    		 100 N/A
    47
    Georgia    		 100 N/A
    48
    Germany    		 100 N/A
    49
    Ghana    		 100 N/A
    50
    Greece    		 100 N/A
    51
    Grenada    		 100 N/A
    52
    Guatemala    		 100 N/A
    53
    Guinea    		 100 N/A
    54
    Guinea-Bissau    		 100 N/A
    55
    Guyana     		100 N/A
    56
    Haiti     		100 N/A
    57
    Honduras    		 100 N/A
    58
    Iceland    		 100 N/A
    59
    India    		 100 N/A
    60
    Iran    		 100 N/A
    61
    Iraq    		 100 N/A
    62
    Ireland    		 100 N/A
    63
    Israel    		 100 N/A
    64 Italy 100 N/A
    65
    Ivory Coast    		 100 N/A
    66
    Jamaica    		 100 N/A
    67
    Jordan    		 100 N/A
    68
    Kazakhstan    		 100 N/A
    69
    Kenya    		 100 N/A
    70
    Kiribati    		 100 N/A
    71
    Kuwait    		 100 N/A
    72
    Latvia    		 100 N/A
    73
    Lebanon    		 100 N/A
    74
    Liberia    		 100 N/A
    75
    Lithuania    		 100 N/A
    76
    Madagascar    		 100 N/A
    77
    Maldives    		 100 N/A
    78
    Malta    		 100 N/A
    79
    Marshall Islands    		 100 N/A
    80
    Mauritania    		 100 N/A
    81
    Mauritius    		 100 N/A
    82
    Mexico    		 100 N/A
    83
    Micronesia    		 100 N/A
    84
    Montenegro    		 100 N/A
    85
    Morocco    		 100 N/A
    86
    Mozambique    		 100 N/A
    87
    Myanmar    		 100 N/A
    88
    Namibia    		 100 N/A
    89
    Netherlands    		 100 N/A
    90
    New Zealand    		 100 N/A
    91
    Nicaragua    		 100 N/A
    92
    Nigeria    		 100 N/A
    93
    Norway    		 100 N/A
    94
    Oman    		 100 N/A
    95
    Pakistan    		 100 N/A
    96
    Panama    		 100 N/A
    97
    Papua New Guinea    		 100 N/A
    98
    Peru    		 100 N/A
    99
    Philippines    		 100 N/A
    100
    Poland    		 100 N/A
    101
    Portugal    		 100 N/A
    102
    Qatar    		 100 N/A
    103
    Romania    		 100 N/A
    104
    Saint Lucia    		 100 N/A
    105
    St. Vincent and the Grenadines    		 100 N/A
    106
    Samoa    		 100 N/A
    107
    Sao Tome and Principe    		 100 N/A
    108
    Saudi Arabia    		 100 N/A
    109
    Senegal    		 100 N/A
    110
    Seychelles    		 100 N/A
    111
    Sierra Leone    		 100 N/A
    112
    Singapore    		 100 N/A
    113
    Slovenia    		 100 N/A
    114
    Solomon Islands    		 100 N/A
    115
    South Africa    		 100 N/A
    116
    Sudan    		 100 N/A
    117
    Suriname    		 100 N/A
    118
    Sweden    		 100 N/A
    119
    Tanzania    		 100 N/A
    120
    Thailand    		 100 N/A
    121
    Togo    		 100 N/A
    122
    Tonga    		 100 N/A
    123
    Trinidad and Tobago    		 100 N/A
    124
    Tunisia    		 100 N/A
    125
    Turkey    		 100 N/A
    126
    Turkmenistan    		 100 N/A
    127
    Ukraine    		 100 N/A
    128
    United Arab Emirates    		 100 N/A
    129
    United Kingdom    		 100 N/A
    130
    Uruguay    		 100 N/A
    131
    Venezuela    		 100 N/A
    132
    Vietnam    		 100 N/A
    133
    Malaysia    		 97 N/A
    134
    Russia    		 97 N/A
    136
    Sri Lanka    		 95 N/A
    137
    Vanuatu    		 92 N/A
    138
    United States    		 90 N/A
    139
    Spain    		 87 N/A
    140
    Indonesia    		 86 N/A
    141
    South Korea    		 78 N/A
    142
    Japan    		 65 N/A
    143
    China    		 8 N/A
    144
    Taiwan    		 0 N/A

    Source and Calculation

    Data on fishing hours of vessels operating in the high seas are sourced from Global Fishing Watch. The sum of annual fishing hours in the high seas by vessels flying each country’s flag is calculated. A maximum score is awarded to a country that does not fish in the high seas.

    *Different sources offer varying data, as datasets may be subject to changes due to recent updates and revisions.