In the first half of 2010, Cambodian authorities reported uncovering 1,772 incidents of illegal fishing in the country.

The authorities seized 321,000 meters of fishing nets and 140 fishing and crab nets.

Source: Khouth Sophakchakrya, “Fisheries busts rise 300pc this year,” Phom Penh Post, August 5, 2010.

The BBC reports that the population of eels in the waters surrounding the United Kingdom has fallen 95 percent from the 1980s to 2010 due to illegal fishing.

Source: “Operation against illegal fishing,” BBC News, May 29, 2010.

Around 25 percent of commercial fish stocks around the world are considered to be in good shape in 2010, with 60 percent of fish stocks in need to repair and rebuilding to sustain supplies.

The global shipping fleet of around 20 million boats creates a fishing capacity that is 1.8 to 2.8 times larger then what current fish population can support.

Source:  Bryan Walsh, “Cracking Down on the Ocean’s Pirate Fishermen,” Time, May 22, 2010.

Illegal fishing activities catches up to 26 tons of fish worth $23 Billion a year.

This figure released in 2010 is an increase from the previous estimate of $16.5 Billion in 2008.

Source:  Mark Kinver, “Ports ‘failing to halt illegal fishing’,” BBC News, May 21, 2010.

Illegal fishing activities in Mozambique causes losses of $35 Million a year.

Source: “Illegal fishing in Mozambique leads to annual losses of US$35 million,” Macauhub, May 3, 2010.

The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas reported that illegal fishing accounted for over half of all catches of bluefin tuna in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.

Source:  Dane Klinger and Kimiko Narita, “Foreign Policy: Saving The Sushi Menu,” NPR, February 17, 2010.

307 Chinese boats were seized by South Korean officials in 2009 for illegal fishing activities, down 15 percent from the 353 boats seized in 2008.

Source: “Fewer Chinese boats seized for illegal fishing last year,” Yonhap News, January 2, 2010.

Illegal fishing of bluefin tuna increases the total catch by 30 percent.

The total stock of bluefin tuna is at 15 percent of pre-industrial levels.

Source: Richard Black, “‘Last chance’ for tuna authority,” BBC News, November 9, 2009.

Countries in Sub-Sahara Africa are losing up to $1 billion a year to illegal fishing activities .

Source:  “Mozambique: Africa losing over 1 billion dollars to illegal fishing,” illegal-fishing.net,January 21, 2009.

Between 2002 and 2005, illegal fishing rings overfished 100,000 tons the cod stock in the Barent Sea every year.

Due to coorporation between Russia and Norway, in 2008 the illegal fishing catch was down to an estimated 15,000 tons.

Source:  “Barent Sea to boost haddock and cod supplies,” Fishupdate.com, November 3, 2009.