Saving Seafood

News for the Western Pacific Region

Bipartisan bill addresses human trafficking impact on global seafood trade

September 20, 2018 — Guam’s delegate to Congress filed a bill this week that would amend an existing law that targets human trafficking to address the seafood industry’s role.

U.S. Delegate Madeline Bordallo, a Democrat, explained in a release that she offered the legislation because the country needs to eliminate human rights abuses worldwide and that American fishermen should not have to compete against imported seafood caught using slave or forced labor. Bordallo’s cosponsors include U.S. Delegate Aumua Amata (R-American Samoa), U.S. Representative Suzanne Bonamici (D-Oregon) and U.S. Representative Raul Grijalva (D-Arizona).

H.R. 6834, if passed, would bring on the Secretary of Commerce, who oversees NOAA Fisheries, as part of the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. The panel, which currently includes nearly 20 federal agencies, is responsible for coordinating the government’s actions to combat trafficking.

Bordallo’s bill also comes three months after the State Department’s human trafficking report found fisheries in more than 40 countries benefit from forced labor.

Currently, the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act, passed in February 2016, prohibits the United States from accepting imported goods made or processed by forced labor. Officials from U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the law, in its first two years, helped stop 15 shipments of Chinese seafood that were processed by North Korean laborers.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Hawaiian Coral is considered for federal protection

September 20, 2018 — Hawaiian cauliflower coral is one step closer to federal protection under the Endangered Species Act, according to the first review released on Wednesday by the National Marine Fisheries Service of a manufacturing sponsor of the Center for Biodiversity.

Nickname cauliflower, Pocillopora meandrina is often pink, green or cream-colored and is characterized by its branching colonies. Called Ko? A on Hawaiian, the coral is rich in rocky reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific and East Pacific.

“Information presented in the production and other readily available information in our files shows that the most important threat to P. meandrina throughout its assortment at present and in the future, and to the coral columns in the Indo-Pacific region, such as P. meandrina is a part off, marine warming and subsequent warming-induced coral bleeding and mortality, says the report.

Between 2014 and 2015, cauliflower coral was one of many species affected by severe bleeding events, in which single-cell organisms called zooxanthellae that live inside the coral structure and give that pigment expelled. Zooxanthellae can resettle in the coral, other times the organism dies.

Subsequent investigations of Hanauma Bay on Oahu in 2016 recorded evidence of bleeding in 64 percent of P. meandrina colonies, while 1.3 percent were “affected by total post bleaching mortality”. On the western coast of Big Island, 49.6 percent of all living corals were leaks lost.

“Corrosion protection ultimately needs to reduce global temperature increases by drastically reducing fossil fuels. Cauliflower coral is also threatened locally through land-based contamination, sedimentation and physical disturbance caused by human activities, “says the Center for Biological Diversity in a Press Release.

Read the full story at Vaaju

Some Good News for Pacific Bluefin Tuna

September 6, 2018 — Although the Pacific bluefin tuna numbers continue to be low, there are signs the population is recovering and rebuilding targets set forth by international agreement are on track to be met. In July 2018, The International Scientific Committee for Tuna and Tuna-Like Species in the North Pacific Ocean (ISC) released the most recent assessment of Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) and evaluated the likelihood of reaching internationally established rebuilding targets. The bluefin spawning stock biomass (SSB) was estimated to be 3.3% in 2016 relative to their unfished SSB, up from 3.0% in 2014. Unfished spawning stock biomass is the theoretical amount of fish there would be had there never been fishing. The amount and rate of bluefin harvested continues to be high with the greatest catches (and thus impact) on juveniles in the western Pacific Ocean. NOAA Fisheries scientists participate in these assessments and since 2013 the agency has listed Pacific bluefin tuna as overfished and subject to overfishing.

The assessment also projected the stock’s performance based on its status in 2016, management measures in place now, as well as other harvest scenarios. Overall, the analyses indicate that the stock biomass is expected to reach the initial biomass rebuilding target adopted by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) by 2024 with a 98% probability, and the second biomass rebuilding target by 10 years after reaching the initial rebuilding target or by 2034, whichever is earlier, with a 96% probability. Experts have not yet determined the amount of biomass that would indicate the population is recovered or rebuilt.

See the 2018 stock assessment and projections

The Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission is expected to adopt catch limits for 2019 and possibly beyond at its annual meeting in August 2018. Given the projections for achieving the rebuilding targets are optimistic, the WCPFC may consider increasing catches when it meets in December 2018.

The best way to ensure the long-term sustainability of Pacific bluefin tuna is through international cooperation. NOAA Fisheries recognizes concerns about low numbers of Pacific bluefin tuna, and the United States has taken several steps to control the impact of U.S. harvests and has led international action to reduce fishing mortality, rebuild the species, and monitor status.

ISC also assessed the shortfin mako shark and Western and Central Pacific swordfish populations this year and noted no concerns about these stocks.

Want more info? Check out these bluefin FAQs and our Pacific bluefin tuna page.

Read the full story at the Southwest Fisheries Science Center

MSC addresses forced labor, process issues in standards update

August 31, 2018 — The Marine Stewardship Council has announced an overhaul of its certification process after a review that lasted more than two years.

The changes include a new requirement that MSC-certified fisheries declare they are free from forced labor and child labor, and changes to the timeline of both when stakeholder input is accepted and to the dispute resolution process between parties seeking an MSC certification and those who have objections to an individual certification.

MSC Fisheries Standard Director Rohan Currey said introduction of updates to MSC’s Fisheries Certification Process and General Certification Requirements came after an organizational review that began in late 2015.

“The Marine Stewardship Council is a listening organisation and this review began in response to feedback from partners and stakeholders on the complexity of the assessment process and the resources required to engage with it,” Currey said. “To address this feedback, we aimed to reduce complexity and increase effectiveness of stakeholder engagement whilst maintaining the credibility and robustness of the whole process.”

Most prominent among the changes is MSC’s new requirement that by 31 August, 2019, all fisheries in the MSC program must complete and submit a Certificate Holder Forced and Child Labour Policies, Practices, and Measures, detailing the measures they have in place to mitigate the presence of forced or child labor. If the deadline is not met, the fishery will no longer be eligible for certification and any existing fishery certificates it has from the MSC will be suspended.  Fishing and supply chain companies and their subcontractors that have been successfully prosecuted for forced labor violations will not be eligible to participate in the MSC program for two years after their conviction.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

When Conservation Backfires

August 29, 2018 — On New Year’s Day 2015, as celebratory fireworks erupted around the world, a quieter but no less explosive change was happening in Kiribati. After years of planning, the central-Pacific nation finally instigated a complete ban on all fishing within a 157,000-square-mile area of ocean, equivalent in size to California. This area—the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA)—had enjoyed limited (and controversial) protections since 2008. But the upgrade of 2015 turned it into one of the biggest protected areas on the planet, and arguably one of the most lauded. Here was a place where some 500 fish species could swim untroubled. Here was a sign of humanity’s growing commitment to protecting the oceans.

But the lead-up to this upgrade was a long one, full of the usual gauntlet of debates, public meeting, and blue-ribbon panels. Those discussions had been going on since at least the fall of 2013—and that gave fishers time to react. By analyzing ship movements, Grant McDermott from the University of Oregon and Kyle Meng from the University of California at Santa Barbara have shown that fishing intensity more than doubled in the site of the future reserve in the run-up to 2015. The damage was equivalent to fishing continuing for another year and a half after the ban took effect. The path to fully protecting PIPA triggered a preemptive race to yank as many fish from its waters as possible before the opportunity to do so closed for good.

Read the full story at The Atlantic

Hawaii may face direct hit, serious damage from Hurricane Lane to end this week

August 22, 2018 — Major Hurricane Lane is forecast to close in on Hawaii and threaten lives and property on the islands due to pounding surf, flash flooding, mudslides and strong winds.

There is the possibility of Lane making a direct hit on one or more of the islands late this week and into this weekend. The ultimate severity of impacts will depend on the exact track and strength of Lane.

Hawaii Gov. David Ige has signed an emergency proclamation in advance of the hurricane. Some schools have also been closed until further notice.

Even in lieu of a direct hit, “Lane has the potential of bringing the state of Hawaii serious and perhaps record damage,” according to AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski.

“All residents and interests on the islands should closely monitor Hurricane Lane and pay particular attention to local officials on possible evacuations and preparations,” Kottlowski said.

Download the free AccuWeather app for the latest forecast and advisories related to Hurricane Lane.

Damage to homes and businesses may occur.

Lane is currently at Category 5 strength but is expected to weaken gradually as it turns northwestward just south and west of the island chain. A Category 5 hurricane has maximum sustained winds of 157 mph or greater.

Read the full story at AccuWeather

Tracking tools identify regional hubs of whale shark activity

August 17, 2018 — Where do the biggest fish in the sea go to find enough food? Turns out, not too far, if they live in a region with lots of food.

Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) swim about 25 kilometers (15 miles) per day and can make some tremendous long-distance oceanic movements. Scientists recently tracked a female whale shark from the eastern Pacific to the western Indo-Pacific for 20,142 kilometers (more than 12,000 miles) over 841 days, the longest whale shark migration route ever recorded.

Juvenile sharks in a series of four studies, one in the Philippines and three in the western Indian Ocean, apparently prefer to swim laps around their favorite feeding grounds.

Whale sharks are the world’s largest fish, growing up to 12 meters (40 feet) long and weighing up to 25 tons; even juveniles are 7 to 9 meters (23 to 30 feet) long. Scientists are keen to understand where these huge fish spend their time to better conserve them.

Fishing activity threatens whale sharks through direct killing, capture as bycatch, and boat strikes. Half of the world’s whale shark population has been killed since the 1980s, primarily by fisheries in China, India, the Philippines and Taiwan, and Chinese fisheries still target whale sharks for their fins and meat. The rapid decline in whale sharks’ global population prompted the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to reclassify the species as endangered in 2016.

Read the full story at Mongabay News

In China, Salmon is Salmon, Even if It’s Trout

August 17, 2018 — For years, fish sellers in China have labeled something other than salmon as salmon, according to a local media report that outraged sushi lovers across the country.

Now, Chinese fish authorities have responded: That’s perfectly O.K. with them.

Chinese regulators said this week that rainbow trout can be sold as salmon, according to new standards set by a government-affiliated fish association and 13 commercial fisheries. To justify the change in definition, officials cited biology: Salmon and rainbow trout belong to the same fishy family. They also required sellers to note the exact type of fish elsewhere on the label.

Still, the fuzzy definition touched a nerve in a country with a long history of food labeling issues and a vast population of increasingly sophisticated consumers. Thousands took to the internet to blast regulators for lowering food standards instead of fixing the issue. Some declared they would never eat salmon again.

Even patrons at a sushi restaurant said that they could no longer trust salmon enough to eat it raw.

Read the full story at The New York Times

Rainbow trout can now officially be labeled as salmon in China

August 14, 2018 — Rainbow trout can be labeled and sold as salmon, according to new rules issued by a government-run fishery organization and 13 Chinese fishery companies.

The ruling is intended to resolve complaints that China-produced rainbow trout is being mislabled as salmon, amid concerns that eating rainbow trout raw would lead to parasite infection.

The ruling says salmon is the umbrella name of salmonidae fish, and rainbow trout also belongs to this category, the China Aquatic Products Processing and Marketing Alliance (CAPPMA) said on their website.

The CAPPMA, a social organization under the Ministry of Agriculture, along with 13 fishery companies, issued the controversial standard.

The sale of salmon has been increasing in China in recent years, but a lack of standards has raised the concern of many Chinese consumers.

In May, some media reports claimed that a lot of what is sold as salmon in China is in fact rainbow trout, produced in Northwest China’s Qinghai Province.

Later many netizens began to claim rainbow trout from the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau is being mislabeled as salmon, and is infested with worms and painted to resemble salmon.

Read the full story at the Global Times

High seas fisheries play limited role in feeding the world

August 14, 2018 — A recent study undertaken by a team of fisheries and social scientists found that fishing fleets operating outside of national waters contributed to less than 3 per cent of the world’s seafood supply.

Scientists from Dalhousie University, New York University and National Geographic paired a global database of marine catches developed by researchers at the University of British Colombia with a seafood trade database maintained by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation. They analysed the data, considering the amount of fish and marine invertebrates produced by marine capture fisheries and comparing it to those produced by freshwater fisheries and aquaculture.

The team found that a much lower volume of seafood was produced by the high seas fisheries, with most of the catch destined for upscale EU, US and Asian markets. China and Taiwan account for one-third of the total high seas catch.

Lead author Laurenne Schiller, PhD student at Dalhousie University said: “I think many people have the misconception that because the area is so large, the high seas must be contributing a massive supply of food to the world, but that’s just not the case. Only a handful of countries are fishing in the high seas and the fish they catch are not feeding those most in need”.

The findings of this study are against the common misconception that high seas fisheries are important for food security. Less than 40 species are targeted by fisheries in the high seas, and only one species, the Antarctic toothfish, is exclusively caught in this are of the ocean. Marketed as Chilean sea bass, this fish can easily sell for over $50 per kilogram.

Read the full story at New Food