Electronic Monitoring Policy at Sea Beyond “Human Bycatch”

Abstract

This policy brief draws attention to emerging environmental justice concerns in distant water fisheries, especially areas beyond national jurisdiction, and with regard to interlocking concerns at the nexus of human rights and technology. Although there has been tremendous interest recently in electronic monitoring (EM) applications (e.g., video systems) for fisheries to solve social problems (so-called “human bycatch” implications), no coherent policy framework has developed. However, consideration of EM as a form of potential socioenvironmentally unjust surveillance introduces a set of policy-relevant concerns for decision-makers and practitioners. We highlight how questions of distributional (in)justice, trust, and procedural equity must be at the forefront of future EM policy discussions concerning industrial fishing, including data management.