Saving Seafood

Multi-Agency Investigation Cracks Down on Fish Fraud

February 19, 2021 — The following was released by the Better Seafood Board:

The United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York has charged four men for their part in an alleged plot to import mislabeled fish into the United States.  The defendants were arrested yesterday and will appear before a judge today.

“This is a great example of agencies focusing enforcement efforts on fish fraud and having an impact,” said John Petrizzo Director of Operations for Harbor Seafood, Inc. and Chair of the Better Seafood Board. “Here we see the United States Attorney, Department of Homeland Security, NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement and USDA’s Inspector General all working together to investigate and prosecute these suspects. Dedicating those kinds of resources to a fish fraud case sends a loud and clear message.”

Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent-in-Charge Peter C. Fitzhugh called the suspects part of a “transnational criminal organization.” The scheme allegedly involved bringing mislabeled fish in from Myanmar and Bangladesh for sale through a company called Asia Foods Distributor Inc. The criminal complaint shows law enforcement tracking mislabeled shipments as far back as 2018. Investigators describe the alleged crime as a “very lucrative scheme.”

“We don’t need new laws or more regulations, we need enforcement and that’s what we are seeing today from these federal agencies,” said Petrizzo. “Hats off to them and their efforts to stamp out fish fraud.”

In the fight to save the vaquita, conservationists take on cartels

February 17, 2021 — From above, the Sea of Cortez is a picture of serenity: turquoise waters lapping against rose-tinted bluffs and soft sand beaches. But down below, beneath the water’s surface, a war is raging.

Each year, typically between late November and May, huge gillnets — some stretching more than 600 meters (2,000 feet), or the length of five and a half football fields — are dropped into the waters to catch totoaba (Totoaba macdonaldi). This critically endangered species is illegally fished for its prized swim bladders, which can fetch prices between $20,000 and $80,000 per kilo in China. While gillnets are highly effective at catching totoaba, they also catch just about everything else, including another critically endangered species: the vaquita (Phocoena sinus).

The vaquita is a bathtub-sized porpoise with silvery-gray skin and panda-like eyes that lives exclusively in a small section of the northern Gulf of California, close to the town of San Felipe in Baja California, Mexico. Right now, experts say there may only be about nine vaquitas left, despite the Mexican government spending more than $100 million to aid its recovery.

“The vaquita issue, in my opinion, is an example of epic, epic failure of conservation,” Andrea Crosta, executive director of Earth League International (ELI), an NGO that investigates wildlife crime, told Mongabay in an interview. “I don’t think rhinos and elephants combined have $100 million … and yet the vaquitas went from a few hundred individuals to … nobody knows how many now. Probably 12, 10, maybe less.”

But Crosta says it’s not the fishers deploying the gillnets that are the biggest threat to the vaquitas — it’s the people organizing the illegal trade of totoabas behind the scenes. They’re the ones placing the gillnets into the fishermen’s hands, he said.

Read the full story at Mongabay

Wisconsin Official Traded Sturgeon Research Eggs for Caviar, Prosecutors Say

February 17, 2021 — The eggs, processed into tiny black pearls prized by the gastronomic world for their burst-in-the-mouth, briny flavor profile, were said by state fisheries employees to be needed for research on the sturgeon population in Wisconsin.

But prosecutors say the state biologist who oversees the traditional sturgeon spearing season in Lake Winnebago and its watershed, a rite of winter for fishing enthusiasts in the state, had acquired an expensive and illicit taste for the caviar that is made from the eggs.

The biologist, Ryan P. Koenigs, an employee of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources since 2008, accepted at least $20,000 in jars of caviar in return for supplying to a caviar processor eggs that had been collected under the guise of research, a criminal complaint filed last week in Winnebago County said.

The caviar-processing business is run by a former biologist for the state, according to prosecutors, who said it was one of several caviar processors that obtained sturgeon eggs as part of the bartering scheme. The former employee, who prosecutors said obtained 65 pounds of roe in 2015 that produced $100,000 in caviar, has not been charged.

In Wisconsin, state law requires the eggs to be returned to the person who speared the sturgeon, if requested, or discarded. Prosecutors noted that caviar produced from sturgeon eggs can sell for more than $100 an ounce.

Read the full story at The New York Times

Over 150 companies endorse statement calling for increased seafood traceability

February 15, 2021 — Leading seafood companies across the globe – and the supply chain – have come together to issue a statement urging the rest of the industry and governments to take action on illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The statement, organized by five major industry collaborations, calls on the seafood industry to adopt the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST) standard, and for governments to ratify the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA).

Read the full story at Seafood Source

LINDA BEHNKEN & MIKE CONROY: Setting Biden’s seafood policy table

February 16, 2021 — Fishermen have been invited to be partners with the Biden administration on ocean policy and we are prepared to engage. Hard work, honest dialog and commitments to justice and equity will ensure that we remain at the table and not on the menu.

January’s executive order tackling climate change includes ambitious provisions that set agencies on a course to climate mitigation. Most importantly for America’s commercial fishing families, the order established two parallel processes to secure direct input from fishermen on, respectively the appropriate ways to conserve 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030, an initiative known as 30×30, and ways to make our fisheries more resilient to climate change.

Fishing communities are precisely where policymakers should look for durable ocean-based climate solutions. Here are some starting points.

Today’s ocean is increasingly industrialized and our coasts are more densely occupied than ever. The historic pattern of ocean and coastal development exacerbated by climate change has resulted in reduced protections for fish habitat and serial declines of functional working waterfront. The administration has the ability to reverse both trends.

The U.S. should strengthen existing fisheries habitat protection processes by requiring federal agencies to avoid, minimize and mitigate impacts to Essential Fish Habitat (EFH). EFH consultations are regularly conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), yet NOAA’s recommendations are routinely ignored by other agencies. Executive action requiring permitting agencies to incorporate NOAA’s EFH conservation recommendations into their decisions would significantly benefit fish habitat, fisheries and biodiversity.

Read the full opinion piece at The Hill

US seafood associations respond to human trafficking task force recommendations

February 9, 2021 — Commercial seafood organizations have begun responding to a U.S. Justice Department task force report on human trafficking in international waters.

The report, nearly three years in the making, included 27 recommendations for the federal government to eliminate loopholes or strengthen policies. Some of those recommendations include the need for congressional legislation. Among this is a recommendation to create a temporary worker visa program that would ban “recruitment fees” paid by workers on American vessels that fish in international waters but deliver products in U.S. ports.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Hawaii Longliners Take Action To Fight Poor Conditions And Human Trafficking

February 8, 2021 — The Hawaii Longline Association says it welcomes the recommendations contained in two recent reports to Congress that outline ways the seafood industry can prevent labor abuse.

The longliners, which primarily target tuna and swordfish, faced intense scrutiny after a 2016 investigation by The Associated Press found a number of foreign crewmen working the vessels were living in squalid conditions and earning as little as 70 cents an hour.

Since then, Congress has called for more oversight of the national and international seafood industry, particularly when it comes to issues of illegal fishing and human trafficking.

Read the full story at the Honolulu Civil Beat

Water Wars Special: How IUU Fishing Increases the Risk of Conflict

January 28, 2021 — Illegal, unreported and unregistered (IUU) fishing, a global issue that many experts attribute to large state subsidies for fisheries, is more than simply an environmental or economic concern. Such activity heightens the risk of conflict at sea.

Most notably, China’s expanding fishing fleet—called the distant-water fishing (DWF) fleet—has precipitated tensions around the world. In 2016, an Argentine naval vessel sank a Chinese fishing boat illegally trawling in its waters, and the Argentine Coast Guard seized another Chinese-flagged vessel in May 2020. The vessel had turned off its identification system, illegally entered the Argentine exclusive economic zone (EEZ) at night, and carried 300 tons of fish in its hold. Similar incidents have occurred in the East China Sea. A South Korean attempt to interdict Chinese IUU fishing turned deadly in 2016, and Seoul recently announced enhanced efforts to seize Chinese fishing vessels illegally operating within its EEZ.

On Jan. 18, the World Trade Organization (WTO) reconvened negotiations for an agreement on fishing subsidies. Such a deal could stabilize global fish stocks, reduce IUU fishing and mitigate a potential source of maritime conflict. But an agreement is unlikely to come easily— geopolitical tensions and conflicting interests among major fishing powers have complicated subsidies negotiations since the 2001 Doha Round.

Four years ago, the WTO set 2020 as the deadline for an agreement to eliminate subsidies that promote overcapacity and IUU fishing. Although negotiators failed to meet the 2020 target, WTO leadership remains optimistic that efforts will prove successful in 2021. However, in a brief for the International Institute for Sustainable Development, Alice Tipping and Tristan Irschlinger outlined several issues that may impede success. The application of “special and differential treatment” for China remains one contentious question, and its resolution implicates maritime security in the South China Sea and beyond.

Read the full story at Lawfare

Poll: Americans say seafood should not be caught using slave labor, illegal fishing

January 28, 2021 — The following was released by Oceana:

Oceana today released the results of a nationwide poll finding that Americans overwhelmingly support policies to end illegal fishing and seafood fraud. Included among the key findings, 89% of voters agree that imported seafood should be held to the same standards as U.S. caught seafood. Additionally, 81% of voters say they support policies that prevent seafood from being sold in the U.S. that was caught using human trafficking and slave labor. 83% agree that all seafood should be traceable from the fishing boat to the dinner plate, and 77% support requirements for all fishing vessels to be publicly trackable.

“American consumers shouldn’t have to worry if their seafood was caught illegally or fished using forced labor. All seafood sold in the U.S. should be safe, legally caught, responsibly sourced and honestly labeled,” said Beth Lowell, Oceana’s deputy vice president for U.S. campaigns. “It’s clear that Americans want and need to know more about the seafood they’re eating. President Biden and his administration have an opportunity to lead in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing while leveling the playing field for American fishers and seafood businesses while protecting consumers. It’s a win for everyone.”

Key findings among registered voters include:

  • 87% agree that seafood caught using human trafficking and slave labor should not be bought or sold in the U.S.
  • 92% agree that consumers should be confident in the seafood they eat, including that it is safe, legally caught, honestly labeled and responsibly sourced.
  • 90% agree that seafood mislabeling is unfair for honest fishers, suppliers and restaurants that honestly label their seafood.
  • 75% want to know more about the seafood they eat, including what fish it is and where and how it was caught.
  • 60% say they are willing to pay more to ensure their seafood was not caught illegally.
  • 87% agree that the government needs to do more to ensure that consumers are purchasing properly labeled seafood.
  • Republicans and Democrats overwhelmingly agree that the government needs to do more to protect consumers and to implement policies that end illegal fishing. The findings show strong bipartisan agreement on all major issues and policies that address ending illegal fishing.
    • Eight in ten Republicans (79%) and Democrats (83%) support ensuring all seafood in the U.S. is legally caught.
    • 91% of Democrats and 85% of Republicans agree that the U.S. Government needs to do more to ensure that consumers are purchasing properly labeled seafood.
    • Eight in ten Democrats (82%) and Republicans (77%) support requirements for fishing vessels to be publicly trackable.
    • 84% of Republicans and 85% of Democrats agree that seafood should be traceable from the fish boat to the dinner plate.
    • 89% of Democrats and 87% of Republicans agree that seafood caught using human trafficking and slave labor should not be bought or sold in the U.S.

“Americans overwhelmingly agree that consumers should be confident in the seafood they eat, including that it’s safe, legally caught, honestly labeled and responsibly sourced,” said Lowell. “Unfortunately, current policies don’t go far enough to prevent illegally caught seafood from entering the U.S. market. But the solutions are simple and widely supported – all fishing vessels should be publicly trackable, and all seafood should be traceable from the boat (or farm) to the dinner plate. Now is the time to finally remove the U.S. from inadvertently supporting the worldwide web of illegal fishing, slave labor and human trafficking. These are issues that Americans on both sides of the aisle agree upon, and President Biden should build on the efforts of previous administrations to stamp out illegal fishing once and for all.”

According to Oceana, illegal fishing poses one of the greatest threats to our oceans. It is estimated that up to 30% of the seafood caught worldwide is a product of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, valued from $25 to $50 billion annually. In the United States, up to 90% of the fish consumed is imported, with up to one-third of wild-caught imports being sourced from IUU fishing. IUU fishing can include fishing without authorization, ignoring catch limits, operating in closed areas, and fishing with illegal gear or for prohibited fish or wildlife. These illicit activities can destroy essential habitat, severely deplete fish populations, and threaten global food security. These actions not only contribute to overfishing, but also give illegal fishermen an unfair advantage over those that play by the rules. It also undermines the responsible management of commercial fishing and ocean conservation.

Forced labor and human rights abuses are also commonly associated with IUU fishing. IUU fishing is a low-risk, high-reward activity, especially on the high seas where a fragmented legal framework and lack of effective enforcement allows it to thrive. In 2018, the federal government required catch documentation and traceability for seafood at risk of illegal fishing and seafood fraud, but the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP) currently only applies to 13 types of imported fish and only traces them from the boat to the U.S. border. In 2019, Oceana released the results of a seafood fraud investigation, testing popular seafood not covered by SIMP and found that 1 in every 5 fish tested nationwide was mislabeled. Seafood fraud ultimately hurts honest fishermen and seafood businesses that play by the rules, masks conservation and health risks of certain species, and cheats consumers who fall victim to a bait-and-switch.

The national online poll, conducted by the non-partisan polling company Ipsos, surveyed 1,005 American adults from across the U.S. between December 11 and 14, 2020, and found widespread bipartisan support for policies aimed at increasing transparency and seafood traceability.

Oceana is campaigning to stop illegal fishing, increase transparency at sea, and require traceability of all seafood to ensure that all seafood is safe, legally caught, responsibly sourced and honestly labeled.

View the full polling results here.

The national security imperative to tackle illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing

January 26, 2021 — Over the last few years illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing has become more recognized as a national security concern. At first glance, fish hardly seem to be on par with other cutting edge national security issues — cyber, space, artificial intelligence, drones, nuclear proliferation, and perhaps most importantly the return of strategic competition now commonly referred to “great” power rivalry (although perhaps not for long). But in the years to come, make no mistake, fishin’ may indeed become an increasingly important mission for the United States and its security partners and allies around the world, and most certainly those in the Indo-Pacific.

To succeed in this mission, the Biden administration should lean on the U.S. Coast Guard to do what it does best, especially in the Pacific, where Chinese fishing fleets do double-duty as maritime militias that threaten and intimidate the fishers from neighboring nations. The administration should also continue to develop counter-IUU bilateral agreements, including those that may allow prosecuting masters of vessels that commit “grave breaches.” It may also need to make a hard choice between partnering with China’s neighbors, or with China itself, to best address this threat.

Fishing, a $401 billion global industry, provides 20% of the protein intake for nearly half of the world’s population, and global fish consumption has been on the rise for almost 60 years. Yet 93% of the world’s fish stocks are fully exploited, overexploited, or significantly depleted, and global climate change is adversely affecting stocks.

Read the full story at the Brookings Institute