64 Proceedings Fall 2024 Where do we go From Here? The bright Abidjan sun glistens on the water as a small boat carries me to the Ivorian Navy’s base, Navale D’Abidjan. I look off the starboard side and a striking image hits me. A sole fisher toiling a few hundred yards off the base, working only a few hundred yards in front of massive factory boats offloading their catch. Artisanal fishers can be disproportionately affected by the negative repercussions of IUU fishing; entire ways of life can be lost, but the repercussions from IUU fish- ing don’t stop with the individuals. In Africa especially, a huge contingent of jobs for both men and women are tied to artisanal fisheries.9 When fisheries collapse and jobs are lost, it is not just young men affected, it is entire communities and families. These lost jobs lead to poor economic conditions and difficult decisions for commu- nities. Migration patterns can be driven by poor eco- nomic conditions resulting from the collapse of a fishery. If your life or career is affected by migration patterns and migrant interdiction operations, you should care about IUU fishing. The loss of income and economic instability can lead some former fishers to pursue other means of survival. The skills they have from generations of fishing can lead former fishers to the negative influence of transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), lead- ing them to piracy or narcotics smuggling. If your life is affected by piracy or counter-narcotics operations, you should care about IUU fishing. If your life is affected by environmental concerns, pollution, food security, forced labor, migration, TCOs, humanitarian concerns, or inter- national affairs, you should care and stay informed about IUU fishing, as it will impact the entire maritime com- munity. The IUU fishing mission set is not going to disap- pear, and the Coast Guard is uniquely positioned to be a leader in the mission space. The international commu- nity is looking for leadership and assistance. The United States government interagency working group is look- ing to the Coast Guard for leadership. It is time to step into the limelight, support our interagency and interna- tional partners, and combat this critical international issue through operations, training, and diplomacy. Only through a cohesive and collaborative approach will we be able to make the strides needed to preserve our criti- cal living marine resources for generations to come. About the author: Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, LT Alexander Feltman graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2017 with a degree in marine science and a concentration in coastal zone management. Following graduation, he attended Coast Guard Officer Candidate School. His duty tours include Coast Guard cutter Harriet Lane, and the Maritime Force Protection Unit Kings Bay in Georgia prior to joining the Office of Maritime Law Enforcement. He resides in Alexandria, Virginia, with his wife, Zoie, and Buoy the dog. Endnotes: 1. Holm, Poul. “World War II and the ‘Great Acceleration’ of North Atlantic Fisheries.” Global Environment 10 (2012): 66–91. Republished by the Environment & Society Portal, Multimedia Library 2. Banyan, Margaret E. “tragedy of the commons.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Apr. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/science/tragedy-of-the-commons, Accessed 6 May 2024 3. The ‘‘John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019’’ 4. “Advantage at Sea: Prevailing with Integrated All Domain Naval Power” ht t ps://media.defen se.gov/2020/Dec/16/2002553074/-1/-1/0/ Triservicestrategy.pdf 5. “Memorandum on Combating Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing and Associated Labor Abuses,” National Security Memorandum/NSM-11, ht t p s://w w w.wh it e h o u s e.gov/b r i e f i n g-r o o m/p r e s ide nt i a l- actions/2022/06/27/memorandum-on-combating-illegal-unreported-and- unregulated-fishing-and-associated-labor-abuses 6. “Biden-Harris Administration’s National Security Strategy,” October 2022, https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Biden-Harris- Administrations-National-Security-Strategy-10.2022.pdf 7. “United States Coast Guard: Illegal, Unreported, And Unregulated Fishing Strategic Outlook,” September 2020, https://www.uscg.mil/Portals/0/ Images/iuu/IUU_Strategic_Outlook_2020_Final.pdf 8. “United States Coast Guard: Illegal, Unreported, And Unregulated Fishing Strategic Outlook Implementation Plan,” July 2021, https://www.uscg.mil/ Portals/0/Images/IUU/doc/IUU%20IMPLEMENTATION%202021_FINAL. pdf?ver=wdWTa9-ptLnX_YHLlIC2KQ%3d%3d×tamp=1627918210316 9. “Women Are a Mainstay of Fishing in West Africa. But They Get a Raw Deal.” World Economic Forum, 10 Mar. 2023, www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/05/ why-women-in-the-west-african-fishing-industry-need-more-financial- safety-nets Coast Guard LT Alexander Feltman, shown here at Navale D’Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire, is a policy analyst in the Office of Maritime Law Enforcement. Photo courtesy of LT Alexander Feltman
