Promoting responsible harvesting by mitigating IUU fishing: a three-block and OODA construct?

Key aspects of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing are grouped within four tactical challenges. These challenges are analogous to the four-block military dimensions of immediate action, peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance and psychological/ information operations. They are nested within an overarching strategy focused on sustainable and responsible fishing, and are grouped within a tactical construct of five operational entities (beneficial owner, regulatory authority, Flag State, Port State and consumer). Sustainable and responsible fishing activities converge to meet the tactical challenges above through conservation measures agreed by the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR). For fisheries management purposes, adaptable, flexible and tactical, execution of strategically formulated compliance-enforcement measures must be tailored to address higher-order goals, including coherent action for effective compliance-enforcement. CCAMLR’s countering of Toothfish (Dissostichus spp.) IUU fishing demonstrates how ‘intuitive competences’ could be applied in a formative decision-making framework directed at overcoming situational disadvantages. Examples from contemporary military strategies (the three-block-war construct, the OODA (Observe, Orient, Decide and Act) doctrine and manoeuvre conflict model) indicate that dynamic application of OODA competencies in a manoeuvre conflict framework are a useful, and novel, way to enhance the success of current efforts to counter IUU fishing activity and promote responsible fishing.