INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this report is to identify pathways to sustainable fisheries and conserve biodiversity in
the Indo-pacific by offering a robust review of the drivers of IUU fishing in the Sulu-Sulawesi Seascape
(SSS). This risk assessment profiles the vulnerability to Indonesia, Malaysia, and Philippines—countries
which border the SSS—to illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU fishing). This report offers an
assessment of fishing activities in SSS waters to inform regional collaboration and policy discussions.
The risk assessment process which derives the results detailed in this report adapts the Stimson
Center’s Climate and Ocean Risk Vulnerability Initiative (CORVI) survey methods to assess the specific
economic, environmental, and governance risk factors that drive IUU fishing in the SSS and surrounding
region. The process began with 50 semi-structured interviews with expert key informants (KIs) and
extensive desk research to determine risk categories (economic, environmental, and governance) and
develop five indicators per category. Then an online risk survey was sent to KIs and other identified
government, academic researchers, fisheries industry members, NGO staff, and independent experts.
In the online survey, respondents select a country of focus and answer five questions about risk and
vulnerabilities for each of the fifteen indicators in the selected country. Questions assess current and
future perceptions of issues related to the indicator. Respondents are also asked to compare risk
across countries and across different seascapes. To learn more about who took the survey and how
respondent’s scores are weighted and calculated into mean scores per indicator and category, please
see the methods section at the end of this report.
