Saving Seafood

Enforcement

NOAA report accuses nine nations, including China and Taiwan, of supporting illegal fishing

September 5, 2023 — The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has released a report identifying several nations it alleges are engaged in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing or that have not done enough to eliminate the use of forced labor within their domestic fleets.

Angola, Grenada, Mexico, China, Taiwan, The Gambia, and Vanuatu were all alleged to have participated in IUU fishing in 2020, 2021 and 2022, according to the report. Mexico, China, and Russia were given negative certifications for failing to remedy IUU fishing activities, which could lead to the U.S. denying those nations’ access to American ports and waters or import bans.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

NOAA Fisheries law enforcement plans on subscribing to commercial database

August 29, 2023 — NOAA Fisheries plans on subscribing to an existing commercial database to support its law enforcement division, giving the agency access to more public and propriety information as it conducts its investigations.

In July, SeafoodSource reported that NOAA Fisheries was considering creating or purchasing a new national database that would enable law enforcement officers to search vehicle registrations, phone records, social media accounts, and more. According to a June 2023 notice, NOAA wanted the centralized repository to be capable of creating custom reports showing “connections between people, businesses, assets, and locations.” The agency also wants access to license plate recognition technology and automatic alerts when data on subjects of interest is updated.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

NOAA Fisheries wants to create a nationwide law enforcement database

July 11, 2023 — NOAA Fisheries wants to create a new national database to collect private and public information – including vehicle registrations, phone records, social media accounts, and more – to help its law-enforcement division conduct investigations.

The agency issued a notice in late June seeking contractors capable of building the new system. Companies currently have until 12 July to submit capability statements to NOAA Fisheries as they prepare an official solicitation.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Slow US Customs and Border Protection system blamed for missed IUU investigations

July 9, 2023 — U.S. Customs and Border Protection is too slow in passing on information about potential illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing imports, making it difficult for NOAA Fisheries to conduct inspections, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report.

NOAA Fisheries manages four separate programs designed to stop the import of IUU products, but it cooperates regularly with CBP and other agencies to target potential IUU products being shipped into the United States. In 2019, for example, CBP, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and NOAA Fisheries worked together to discover that 32 Spanish companies were mislabeling albacore tuna as bonito to avoid higher tariffs. Through that investigation, CBP was able to recover USD 600,000 (EUR 550,110) in lost tariff revenue.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Louisiana hasn’t issued any fines despite 2,671 violations of imported shrimp law

June 29, 2023 — Restaurants in the U.S. state of Louisiana are flouting a state law requiring them to indicate on their menus whether the shrimp or crawfish they’re selling is imported, but the state has yet to impose any fines on violators.

Health inspectors have issued 2,671 citations for violations of the 2019 Louisiana law, according to an investigation by the Louisiana Illuminator. However, the state law does not include any provisions about penalties, leaving the state health department toothless in trying to enforce it.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

FACT SHEET: Marking the One Year Anniversary of the National Security Memorandum on Combating Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing and Associated Labor Abuses

June 28, 2023 — The following was released by the White House:

One year ago, on June 27th, 2022, President Biden signed the historic National Security Memorandum on Combating Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing and Associated Labor Abuses (NSM-11).

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration is providing a status update on actions taken under National Security Memorandum-11 to address the problem of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, including by distant water fishing vessels; protect ocean ecosystems; safeguard seafood supply chains; and combat forced labor abuses within the seafood industry.

NSM-11’s first year implementation has been strengthened by action through and coordination with the U.S. Interagency Working Group on IUU Fishing established pursuant to section 3551 of the Maritime Security and Fisheries Enforcement (SAFE) Act (16 U.S.C. 8031), and chaired by the Department of State, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in collaboration with 21 other member agencies.

  • The U.S. Interagency Working Group on IUU Fishing released the first National Five-Year Strategy for Combating Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing on October 19, 2022.  The Strategy details U.S. priorities and plans to combat IUU fishing, curtail trade in seafood and seafood products derived from IUU fishing, and promote global maritime security.  The Strategy lists five priority flag states and administrations (Ecuador, Panama, Senegal, Taiwan, and Vietnam) in regions where the Working Group will focus its work with partners on combating IUU fishing and related threats.  Together with other governments and authorities, the seafood industry, academia, philanthropies, and nongovernmental stakeholders, the United States aims to use this strategy to make tangible progress in addressing IUU fishing and to execute a shared global vision for sustainable stewardship of marine resources.
  • The U.S. Interagency Working Group on IUU Fishing created a new interagency task group on identifying and countering criminal networks and enterprises that support IUU fishing.  This task group will identify examples and recommendations for how agencies can use unique authorities and programs to better identify and target the individuals and entities behind many types of IUU fishing, using insight from the tools counter-narcotics and counter-wildlife trafficking communities have adopted in their work.
  • NOAA, State and DOL co-chair the U.S. Interagency Working Group on IUU Fishing sub-working group on Labor, taking action to understand the gaps in enforcement authorities to counter labor abuses, and to coordinate technical assistance in fishing across the interagency, while supporting standing reporting requirements.

IUU fishing can be associated with forced labor, a form of human trafficking, and other crimes and human rights abuses.  These abuses undermine the livelihoods and human rights of fishers globally, alongside U.S. economic competitiveness, national security, and fishery sustainability. Actions under NSM-11 to address forced labor in the seafood industry include:

  • Sanctioning perpetrators of IUU fishing and serious human rights abuse: On December 9, 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned two individuals, Li Zhenyu and Xinrong Zhuo, and the networks of entities they control, including Dalian Ocean Fishing Co., Ltd. and Pingtan Marine Enterprise, Ltd. along with eight other affiliated entities. Additionally, this action identified 157 People’s Republic of China (PRC) flagged fishing vessels in which these entities have an interest. These actions were taken pursuant to Executive Order 13818, which builds upon and implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and targets perpetrators of serious human rights abuse and corruption around the world. The designation of Pingtan Marine Enterprise was the first time Treasury has designated an entity listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange. The action demonstrates the U.S. government’s ongoing effort to impose tangible and significant consequences on those engaged in serious human rights abuse, including on those vessels engaged in IUU fishing.
  • Establishing the Collaborative Accelerator for Lawful Maritime Conditions in Seafood (CALM-CS). Developed, established and chaired by NOAA, with participation from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Department of Labor (DOL), U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), the U.S. Department of State (State), and representatives from all relevant sectors—workers, harvesters, processors, retailers, brokers, non-governmental organizations, and think tanks—this public-private partnership promotes legal and safe working conditions throughout the fishing and seafood industry. CALM-CS working groups are each co-chaired by one representative from the U.S. government and one from an external sector, helping to give workers a voice, support at-risk populations at sea, promote standards and due diligence, identify illegal labor practices, and enhance safety and labor conditions aboard U.S. vessels.
  • DOL’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) has published research and created tools to raise public awareness of forced labor and child labor in seafood supply chains.
    • DOL’s List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor includes coverage of forced labor and child labor in seafood supply chains, as required under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) of 2005 and subsequent reauthorizations.
    • The Sweat and Toil App presents information on seafood and other products made with forced labor or child labor in an accessible, user-friendly format.
    • The Better Trade Tool provides data on goods imported into the United States which are at risk of being produced with forced or child labor.
    • DOL’s Comply Chain tool helps companies undertake effective due diligence to identify, address and mitigate child and forced labor in their global supply chains. The tool is broadly applicable to all global supply chains, and includes several seafood case studies.
    • DOL has also published a fishing fact sheet on strengthening labor conditions and promoting good jobs in the fishing sector.
    • DOL frequently engaged with fishers’ unions and industry, sharing tools to protect fishers from labor exploitation, including the union campaign for Wi-Fi aboard vessels, at venues such as the Seafood Expo North America, Seafood Expo Global, the Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions Annual Meeting, and the Global Migration Film Festival.

Leading global marketplace includes clause to strip insurance from IUU vessels

June 12, 2023 — A new contract clause released by a leading global insurance and reinsurance marketplace essentially strips rights to insurance from any vessel found to be engaged in illegal, unreported, or unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The clause, issued by the London Insurance Market’s Joint Hull Committee – which represents and works with members of Lloyd’s Market Association and the International Underwriting Agency – allows insurers to waive coverage on vessels found to be listed on the IUU fishing lists of “one or more regional fisheries management organizations” (RFMOs) The clause also states that if a listed vessel is in the same ownership, same group of companies, or same management “as any other vessel” insured, underwriters may cancel the insurance of a “related vessel” with seven days notice.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

NOAA Enforcement Uncovers Multiple Illegal Seafood Export Operations

June 7, 2023 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

On May 23, 2023, Jiu Fa Chen, was sentenced to 5 years probation and a $100,000 fine for falsely labeling and exporting foreign-bought spiny lobsters as “Products of the U.S.A.” Chen’s company, AIFA Seafood Incorporated, was sentenced to 5 years probation and a $250,000 fine. It is now subject to rigorous compliance measures for all future business activities. In addition, Elite Sky International Incorporated, was recently sentenced to a $250,000 fine and similar compliance measures. It was running the same illegal labeling scheme as AIFA Seafood.

“These individuals and companies intentionally misrepresented their lobster to be something that it’s not—a product of the United States,” said Manny Antonaras, Assistant Director of NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement, Southeast Division. “Fishermen and seafood producers who play by the rules deserve to be competitive in global markets. We work hard to help create an even playing field where domestic fishermen can market their American-caught products proudly around the world.”

AIFA Seafood’s illegal activity was first detected through compliance checks performed under the Seafood Import Monitoring Program. An additional anonymous letter detailed elaborate schemes to illegally import spiny lobster to the United States. They would then be illegally exported to China under the false “Product of the U.S.A.” label.

Through a joint undercover operation, we identified that AIFA Seafood had imported lobster from Haiti to its facilities in Florida. The imported lobster were repackaged into boxes labeled “Live Florida Spiny Lobster Product of USA” and illegally exported to China. In total, 5,900 pounds of lobster were illegally exported under this scheme with an estimated retail market value of over $206,500. The investigation uncovered a similar scheme by Elite Sky International to falsely label, and export more than 63,000 pounds of foreign lobster imports as products of the U.S.A. They also shipped more than 5,600 pounds of shark fins falsely labeled as “Frozen Fish.”

When seafood companies deliberately mislabel and misrepresent U.S. seafood exports, they disadvantage honest fishermen. The reporting and records requirements of the Seafood Import Monitoring Program are critical to protecting law-abiding fishermen and seafood producers’ competitiveness in global markets.

These cases were prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. They were made possible through close collaboration between:

  • NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement
  • NOAA’s Office of International Affairs, Trade, and Commerce
  • U.S. Department of Homeland Security
  • U.S. Customs and Border Protection
  • Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

To report suspected seafood violations, contact NOAA’s Law Enforcement Hotline at (800) 853-1964.

A boat went dark. Finding it could help save the world’s fish.

May 25, 2023 — On an early January afternoon, a South Korean fishing boat, the Oyang 77, departed from Montevideo, Uruguay, for the plentiful waters off the coast of Argentina. A month later, it would be apprehended by the coast guard for illegal fishing.

As it intruded into Argentina’s territorial waters, the boat left a telltale digital signature, one that could be used to catch outlaw fishermen across the planet.

Read the full article at the Washington Post

Uniform data collection continues to be key to enhancing seafood traceability

May 10, 2023 — To effectively combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and push interoperable traceability efforts, the seafood industry needs to continue emphasizing collecting uniform data, according to Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) scientist Sara Bratager.

At Seafood Expo Global – which ran from 25 to 27 April, in Barcelona, Spain – Bratager told SeafoodSource that the first step to pushing seafood traceability is for companies to collect uniform data. A pilot study performed by IFT and the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST), seafood traceability standards created by the organizations as a benchmark, helped confirm the hypothesis that uniform data is key to enhancing full-chain traceability.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource