One major problem posed to the enforcement of international regulations is flag hopping. This is a direct cause of many countries opening up their fishing registries internationally. This means that fishermen and fishing companies of other nationalites can register their boats and liscenses under a certain countries flag and thus take on only the restrictions and regulations of this country. It is profitable for the country allowing it as it allows them to reap the revenue of the fish caught, and it can be very profitable for fishing companies especially those who choose to register under a country who doesn't comply with international fishing treaties or envokes few fishing restrictions. By registering under these countries these fishermen can fish in restricted areas and ignore fishing quotas because the are registered under a country that is not party to the treaty and if the country decides to sign then they can ship jump to another country who doesn't comply, thus flag hopping. Boats can change flags without ever even going into harbor or setting foot in that country. One effective way that has been proposed to curb this phenomenon is by restricting trade with countries who allow open registry and do not uphold fishing registrations. This provides an economical incentive for countries who would otherwise ignore fishing treaties to sign them and participate actively, and it leaves flag hoppers with nowhere to jump. You can search for the full article below on Google Scholar and find a link that will let you read the whole thing it is very interesting. I will try to post the link sometime today if I can find it again.
Danielle
"Fishing Under Flags of Convenience: Using Market Power to Increase Compliance with International Regulations" Elizabeth R. Desombre. Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2005