April 23, 2021 — A federal grand jury has indicted Montauk, New York-based seafood wholesaler Bob Gosman Co. on seafood fraud charges.
On 21 April, the grand jury unsealed the indictment in the seafood fraud case, which also charges fishing captain Christopher Winkler, Bob Gosman Co. managers Bryan Gosman and Asa Gosman, and an unnamed co-conspirator – a now-defunct company operating out of the New Fulton Fish Market – the U.S. Department of Justice said in a press release.
April 22, 2021 — A federal grand jury has indicted two members of Montauk’s Gosman family and a commercial fishing boat owner on charges of conspiracy to commit fraud and obstructing an investigation in connection with a scheme to sell at least $250,000 in illegally caught fluke and black sea bass. The United States Department of Justice announced the indictment on Wednesday.
The indictment stems from about 70 fishing trips that Christopher Winkler, 61, also of Montauk, made aboard his boat New Age from May 2014 to July 2016 during which he took fluke and black sea bass in excess of federal catch quotas, according to the Department of Justice. The fish was sold to a now-defunct company, Greater New York Fish, at the New Fulton Fish Market in the Bronx that was owned in part by Asa Gosman, 45, and Bryan Gosman, 48.
After the Bronx company stopped operating, Mr. Winkler continued to sell the allegedly illegal catch to the two men, through Bob Gosman Co., in which they had an ownership role, the Justice Department said.
The grand jury charged Mr. Winkler, Bryan Gosman, and Asa Gosman with one count each of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud as well as to unlawfully frustrate National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration regulatory efforts.
April 22, 2021 — The following was released by the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation:
The International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) released its 2020 annual report today, titled Staying the Course, which presents the organization’s tuna-fishery sustainability achievements during an unprecedented year of challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The ISSF team did more than just ‘keep on keepin’ on,’ although that would have been accomplishment enough for any individual or organization in 2020,” ISSF President Susan Jackson remarks in the report. “We undeniably hit our stride. We marshalled the discipline, tools, and resourcefulness that we long ago developed as a decentralized, global team. To stay informed and connected while sheltering in place, we made the most of technologies both innovative and tried-and-true.”
Staying the Course reviews ISSF’s continued cross-sector collaborations, marine research projects and advocacy efforts to identify and promote best practices in tuna and ocean conservation with fishers, tuna companies, and Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs). The report also covers ISSF’s activities with environmental nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), scientific agencies and more.
Staying the Course Highlights
Two members of the ISSF Scientific Advisory Committee and Environmental Stakeholder Committee contributed feature articles for the report on timely topics. Dr. Andrew A. Rosenberg. Director, Center for Science and Democracy, Union of Concerned Scientists and Member, ISSF Scientific Advisory Committee, authors “Transparency Matters.” Sara Lewis, Director, Traceability Division, FishWise and Member, ISSF Environmental Stakeholder Committee, contributes “Social Responsibility & Sustainable Seafood.”
Video content and downloadable graphics are available throughout Staying the Course. The report also explores these milestone accomplishments:
Conservation Measures & Commitments Compliance Report
Also included in Staying the Course are key findings of the ISSF Annual Conservation Measures & Commitments Compliance Report, which ISSF has published in coordination with the annual report.
The ISSF Annual Conservation Measures & Commitments Compliance Report shows a conformance rate of 99.4 percent by 26 ISSF participating companies as of March 2021. It tracks companies’ progress in conforming with ISSF conservation measures (CM) like these:
Three measures were newly in effect for the 2020 audit period, and all 26 companies were in full conformance with them:
As part of its commitment to transparency and accountability, ISSF engages third-party auditor MRAG Americas to audit participating companies to assess their compliance with ISSF’s conservation measures. MRAG Americas conducts independent auditing based on a rigorous audit protocol.
In addition to a summary report, MRAG Americas issues individual company reports that detail each organization’s compliance with ISSF’s conservation measures. ISSF publishes these individual company compliance reports on its website.
April 21, 2021 — The following was released by The United States Department of Justice:
Today, a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of New York unsealed the indictment of one fisherman, a wholesale fish dealer, and two of its managers for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and obstruction in connection with a scheme to illegally overharvest fluke and black sea bass. All four defendants are from Montauk.
Christopher Winkler, 61, Bryan Gosman, 48, Asa Gosman, 45, and Bob Gosman Co. Inc. were charged with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud as well as to unlawfully frustrate the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) efforts at regulating federal fisheries. Winker and the corporate defendant each face substantive fraud charges. In addition, each of the defendants was charged with obstruction.
The indictment alleges that between May 2014 and July 2016, Winkler, as captain of the New Age, went on approximately 70 fishing trips where he caught fluke or black sea bass in excess of applicable quotas. This fish was then sold to a now-defunct company and unindicted co-conspirator in the New Fulton Fish Market in the Bronx. Both Asa Gosman and Bryan Gosman had an ownership interest in the defunct company. After the Bronx company went under, Winkler sold a smaller quantity of his illegal catch directly to Bob Gosman Co. Inc., a Montauk fish dealer in which Asa Gosman and Bryan Gosman had a management role. The overages of fish included at least 74,000 pounds of fluke, and the overall over-quota fish (of all species) were valued at least $250,000 wholesale.
Under federal law, a fishing captain is required to accurately detail his catch on a form known as a Fishing Vessel Trip Report (FVTR), which is mailed to NOAA. Similarly, the first company that buys fish directly from a fishing vessel is termed a fish dealer, and fish dealers are required to specify what they purchase on a federal form known as a dealer report, which is transmitted electronically to NOAA. Pursuant to statutory mandate, NOAA utilizes this information to set policies designed to ensure a sustainable fishery. The indictment alleges that the part of the conspiracy was to falsify both FVTRs and dealer reports in order to cover-up the fact that fish were taken in excess of quotas.
Additionally, Asa Gosman, Bryan Gosman, and Bob Gosman Co. Inc., acting through its agents and employees, were charged with obstructing the investigation into these crimes by corruptly withholding certain documents and records sought by a federal grand jury.
Initiated as part of Operation One-Way Chandelier, the indictment is part of a multi-year, ongoing investigation into fisheries fraud on Long Island. The case is being investigated by NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement. Trial Attorney Christopher Hale of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section is prosecuting the case.
The defendants will be arraigned at a future date.
April 12, 2021 — Ongoing World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations on a deal to curtail harmful fishing subsidies are stumbling over the issue of carve-outs for the artisanal fisheries of developing nations.
Exemptions for small, coastal fishing operations have been a thorny issue impeding progress on a deal over the last several months.
April 7, 2021 — Seafood caught via illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and fishing involving forced labor amounting to USD 2.4 billion (EUR 2 billion) was imported into the United States in 2019, according to the U.S. International Trade Commission.
The 18 March report, “Seafood Obtained via Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing: U.S. Imports and Economic Impact on U.S. Commercial Fisheries,” suggests the U.S. government does not have effective controls in place to limit IUU-sourced product from entering the country.
April 2, 2021 — Taiwan’s fisheries regulator has answered NGO claims of forced labor in its fishing fleet through a statement issued to SeafoodSource.
Noting the attention NGOs have brought to the abuse of foreign workers aboard Taiwanese fishing vessels, the Taiwan Fisheries Agency said in its statement it has “endeavored to improve the protection of the rights and benefits of the crew members through institutional guarantees.”
April 1, 2021 — The Thailand Department of Labor Protection and Welfare is partnering with seafood industry groups on an effort to eliminate the use of forced labor in the sector.
On 29 March, the Thai government signed non-binding memoranda of understanding with several industry associations, under which the companies will make public their policies to combat forced and child labor, establish mechanisms to deal with complaints, and undergo audits on the quality and effectiveness of their labor standards.
April 1, 2021 — A leaked document originating from the Office of Intelligence and Analysis – part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – has recommended the creation of a multilateral coalition with South American nations led by the U.S. to challenge China’s illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and trade practices.
The document was obtained by news service Axios and revealed in an article published 23 March.
March 31, 2021 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:
In the United States, sustainable seafood is not only a possibility, it’s our priority. Fish, shellfish, and marine algae are renewable resources—they can reproduce and replenish their populations naturally. That means we can sustainably harvest fish within certain limits without depleting their populations. Fishery management is the process of using science to determine these limits—catching some fish while leaving some to reproduce and replace the fish that are caught. The United States is a global leader in seafood sustainability.
Our global population is rising, but our global abundance of wild fish is not. Aquaculture, or farming in water, plays a critical role in ensuring that our need for seafood is met sustainably. It is a resource-efficient way of increasing and diversifying U.S. seafood production. The future of sustainable seafood must include both farm-raised and wild-capture seafood. Seafood farming, if done responsibly as it is in the United States, is increasingly recognized as one of the most environmentally sustainable ways to produce food and protein.
Read on to learn more about what sustainable seafood means in the United States and how we are working to support healthy fisheries and provide safe sources of seafood.
1. U.S. fishermen abide by some of the most rigorous environmental measures in the world.
The United States has a well-earned reputation as a global leader in sustainability. U.S. fisheries management is guided by several laws, including the Magnuson-Stevens Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, and Endangered Species Act.
Learn more about the laws and policies that keep our ocean resources productive and sustainable
2. U.S. fisheries are managed under 10 national standards of sustainability.
These standards aim to prevent overfishing, protect other species and habitat, and minimize bycatch on non-target species. They ensure sustainable and responsible fishery management in the United States.
Learn more about the National Standards
3. Managing wild fish populations sustainably and keeping fishermen on the job is a dynamic process.
U.S. fisheries management is a transparent and robust process, based on strong science, responsive management, and enforced compliance. NOAA Fisheries works closely with eight regional fishery management councils, whose members represent commercial and recreational fishing, environmental, academic, and government interests.
Learn more about how we manage fisheries in the United States
4. Expanding aquaculture can stabilize and diversify seafood supply.
Aquaculture is a sustainable way to produce food, using fewer resources than other protein sources. This is especially important when considering the impacts of climate change on land-based farming and wild-capture fisheries.
Learn more about how aquaculture supports a sustainable Earth
5. Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing leads to unsafe and unsustainable practices and harms law-abiding fishermen around the world.
Combating IUU fishing is a top priority for the United States. NOAA Fisheries is proud to be a leader in the nation’s comprehensive approach to this battle. We work with U.S. and state agencies to promote compliance with import requirements that help prevent IUU fish and fish products from entering our markets. We also work with foreign governments and regional fisheries management organizations to promote international cooperation to achieve effective, responsible marine stewardship and ensure sustainable fisheries management.
Learn more about how NOAA is working to combat illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing globally
Sustainable seafood is a continuous journey and science is a big part of our success. Effective management for both wild-caught and farmed species starts with accurate scientific information about fish and fisheries. Be sure to visit our site regularly to learn even more about how we support safe sources of seafood by ensuring our fisheries are productive and sustainable.