An initiative to stop all illegal seafood imports within five years by blocking illegally caught fish at ports has been launched by OceanMind, an organisation providing independent data intelligence to help protect the oceans.
‘The challenge is monumental,’ said OceanMind CEO Nick Wise.
‘But so is the opportunity. We have the legal framework and the technology – what we need now is coordinated action. Through ZEROinFIVE, we can equip nations with the tools and training to turn the PSMA from paper into practice, cutting off the pathways that allow illegal catch to reach consumers worldwide.’
He commented that the 2009 Agreement on Port State Measures (PSMA) gives governments the legal right to block illegally caught fish from entering markets, stopping it before it lands in port.
‘If properly implemented by all signatories, the PSMA would essentially make illegal fish unsellable, meaning catch cannot be converted to cash,’ he said, commenting that most governments lack the resources, tools, data, and training to implement PSMA effectively.
‘Today, only a handful of countries out of 80 signatories have an effective PSMA implementation that verifies the origin of every imported catch. Empowering governments and port authorities with stronger PSMA implementation support and capacity building,’ he said.
Bridging the gap between PSMA’s potential and enforcement capacity is where OceanMind’s ZEROinFIVE initiative comes in.
The company’s technology, co-designed with Microsoft over the past ten years, combines satellite surveillance with AI-powered risk assessments to streamline inspection planning, in-port investigation, and port use decision-making anywhere. This helps governments make informed decisions to verify vessel histories, detect IUU activities, and deny access to port services.
OceanMind’s capacity building programme begins with full support for PSMA risk assessments and inspection planning, followed by a complete handover and independent operation by the host country over a 12- to 24-month period.
Between 2015 and 2020, OceanMind supported the Thai authorities in a complete reform of fisheries enforcement capability, including comprehensive PSMA implementation.
‘We’ve proven this approach works in the regions where we’ve partnered with authorities,’Nick Wise said.
‘Now we need philanthropic partners, collaborating governments, and participating authorities to help us rapidly scale. With expanded support, we can achieve what once seemed impossible: zero illegal seafood imports within five years. The ocean can’t wait – but together, we don’t have to.’
OceanMind has also announced a commitment to deliver this programme of capacity building in the Philippines and Cambodia, with the support of Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
‘Our newly launched ZEROinFIVE initiative aims to replicate and scale this approach globally,’ he said.
‘OceanMind is ready to deploy this programme to all 80 signatories of the PSMA, closing every major port in the world to imported IUU fish. This would significantly reduce IUU fishing and the associated damage to the environment globally.’
