‘Fishing in Troubled Waters’: impulsion for research into environmental crime in the Netherlands

In collaboration with the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), the NSCR will bring together various disciplines and expertise and work on a data infrastructure relating to environmental crime in the Netherlands. In line with its mission and strategy, the NSCR is thus developing the research areas of victimization (including environment-related victimization) and law enforcement. This initiative has been made possible by financial support from NWO-I, the institute organization of NWO.

A global industry worth billions

Illegal fishing is a particularly urgent form of environmental crime worldwide, with an estimated value of between US$11 billion and US$36 billion and disastrous consequences for marine life. Alarming reports about illegal fishing in the Netherlands are also emerging. In 2019, for example, the European Commission assessed the monitoring of the weighing and registration of fishery products. This revealed significant shortcomings in the control of the weighing, registration, and traceability of catches in the Netherlands. In addition, a recent report by the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) identified various mechanisms and systems that enable fish to be caught and sold illegally in the Netherlands.

Knowledge development for innovative solutions

Despite growing social importance, little is still known about the nature, extent, and consequences of illegal fishing in Dutch waters. The empirical and theoretical insights gained from this research will be crucial for researchers, policymakers, businesses, NGOs, and enforcement agencies in developing innovative solutions to prevent and combat illegal fishing—and other forms of environmental crime.

Dr. Peter Ejbye-Ernst, program leader of Crime events in context, the research group in which the project is embedded, elaborates: “This financial support allows us to build a solid infrastructure for research in green criminology and environmental crime at the NSCR and give a boost to the further development of this essential topic in the Netherlands.”

Read more about the theme of Environmental Crime at the NSCR.