Over-exploitation of marine living resources is a global problem, with many of the world's fish stocks currently fully or over-exploited, threatening global food security. The last twenty years have seen a rapid expansion of fishing in the Southern Ocean, in particular targeting the two species of toothfish (Patagonian and Antarctic) that grow to large size and command high market value. The high value of these fish and the remoteness of the fishery have led to the development of considerable fishing effort, much of which falls in the categories of illegal, unreported or unregulated (IUU) fishing, which is threatening sustainable management of these resources. In a detailed analysis this book addresses the political, legal and economic background that have permitted the development of IUU fishing, then looks at how the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) and the Australian government have addressed the problem.

In the opening chapters Baird addresses the problem of IUU and how it has developed in the context of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), considering issues such as rights to fishing on the high seas and the role of flags of convenience. In Chapters 5 and 6, Baird introduces the international role of CCAMLR as a Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (RFMO) for the Southern Ocean. The measures CCAMLR has taken to combat IUU, such as the Catch Document Scheme (CDS), the Vessel Monitoring Scheme (VMS) and IUU vessel lists are outlined and the success and limitations of these initiatives considered. The Australian governments' response to problems of IUU in their external territory of Heard and McDonald Islands (HIMI) is the focus of Chapters 7 and 8, addressing issues such as the legal framework that has allowed the arrest and confiscation of vessels caught fishing illegally at Heard Island.

In summary the book is a very detailed, if rather dry account, of the development of IUU fishing in the Southern Ocean and the measures being taken to address the problem by CCAMLR on a Southern Ocean scale and by the Australian government in the HIMI Economic Exclusion Zone (EEZ). There is a clear focus on the Australian influence at CCAMLR and Australia's external territories, but rather less of initiatives being undertaken in other areas, such as the Marine Stewardship Council's Certification of the South Georgia toothfish fishery and the impact this can have on trade.