Advocacy group Oceana is out with a new study claiming that "between 20-32 percent of wild-caught seafood imported into the U.S. comes from illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) or 'pirate' fishing. Valuing at $1-2 billion annually, this represents between 15-26 percent of the total value of wild-caught seafood imported into the U.S."
"“This study unfortunately confirms what we have long suspected – that seafood from pirate fishing is getting into our markets," says Oceana spokesperson Becky Zisser. "Illegal fishing undercuts honest fishermen and seafood businesses that play by the rules, and the U.S. should not be incentivizing pirate fishers by creating a legal market for their products.
"The solution to this problem is requiring proof of legality and traceability as a condition to import into the U.S., ensuring that all seafood sold in the U.S. is safe, legally caught and honestly labeled. Before seafood crosses our borders and enters our markets, it needs to have documentation that verifies that it was legally caught, and that the fish traveled a transparent path from the fishing vessel to our dinner plates."
"“This study unfortunately confirms what we have long suspected – that seafood from pirate fishing is getting into our markets," says Oceana spokesperson Becky Zisser. "Illegal fishing undercuts honest fishermen and seafood businesses that play by the rules, and the U.S. should not be incentivizing pirate fishers by creating a legal market for their products.
"The solution to this problem is requiring proof of legality and traceability as a condition to import into the U.S., ensuring that all seafood sold in the U.S. is safe, legally caught and honestly labeled. Before seafood crosses our borders and enters our markets, it needs to have documentation that verifies that it was legally caught, and that the fish traveled a transparent path from the fishing vessel to our dinner plates."
- KC's View:
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Sounds reasonable to me. But then again, I have a bias for transparency and documentation.
