U.S. Denies Port Access to Fishing Vessels of 17 Nations
Press Release Date: September 20, 2024
Location: Washington, D.C.
Contact:
Cory Gunkel | email: cgunkel@oceana.org | tel: Cory Gunkel
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced last week that it is denying U.S. port access, which includes blocking a vessel’s ability to refuel or resupply except in emergencies, to certain fishing vessels from 17 nations, effective October 10, 2024. The countries received negative certifications in August 2023 as outlined in NOAA’s 2023 Report to Congress on Improving International Fisheries Management. These nations were negatively certified by the United States due to either illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activity; failure to effectively reduce the bycatch (unintended catch) of protected marine wildlife; or shark catch in international waters where such nations have not adopted regulatory measures comparable to the United States.
According to NOAA, the vessels that are denied port access include:
- People’s Republic of China-flagged longline fishing vessels authorized under several regional fisheries management organizations
- Russian-flagged fishing vessels authorized under the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources to target toothfish.
- Mexican-flagged vessels operating in gillnet fisheries in the Gulf of Ulloa (existing port denials for Mexican fishing vessels fishing in the Gulf of Mexico remain in place)
- Longline fishing vessels operating in International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas fisheries beyond national jurisdictions and flagged to Algeria, Barbados, Côte d’Ivoire, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Namibia, Senegal, Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, and Türkiye
“The United States has the ability, and more importantly, the responsibility to promote responsible fishing and fight illegal fishing around the world. NOAA’s recently announced actions fall short in holding those nations responsible for the behavior of their flagged fishing vessels,” said Dr. Max Valentine, Oceana’s illegal fishing and transparency campaign director for the United States. “NOAA needs to use its full authority under law to implement stronger sanctions, like blocking seafood imports from countries that are negatively certified. Seafood import restrictions send a powerful signal to other nations that the United States is serious about ending IUU fishing, protecting vulnerable ocean wildlife, and ensuring that shark fisheries are managed responsibly. NOAA must use all of the tools in its toolbox — including import restrictions — to hold flag states accountable.”
“It is regrettable that Mexico has received another negative assessment from the United States due to illegal fishing, one of the most serious problems affecting Mexican coastal communities and marine ecosystems,” said Renata Terrazas, Oceana’s Vice President for Mexico. “The closure of U.S. ports to Mexican vessels could have been avoided. It is a warning that encourages the incoming government, led by Claudia Sheinbaum, to address this issue as a priority and ensure compliance with international fishing agreements.”
“We welcome NOAA’s decision to deny U.S. port access to fishing vessels of countries involved in IUU fishing or harmful fishing practices and encourage the U.S. to also implement trade restrictions. While the European pelagic long line vessels listed are denied port access due to bycatch of vulnerable species like turtles, rather than IUU fishing, this underscores the urgent need for stronger efforts by European fleets to reduce and minimize such bycatch. The EU has made important progress in fighting IUU fishing globally, but it must also lead by example by addressing bycatch issues within its fleet and ensuring better protection of marine life,” said Vanya Vulperhorst, Oceana’s campaign director for illegal fishing and transparency in the EU. “We applaud the measures taken by the U.S. to tackle illegal fishing by Russian-flagged vessels and call on the EU to stop the exemptions that allow Russian fishing vessels access to EU ports and to stop Russian-caught seafood from ending up on EU consumers’ plates.”
NOAA’s action is a result of a multi-step process under the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act that allows NOAA to address IUU fishing, bycatch of protected marine life, and shark catch in fisheries around the world. NOAA first identifies countries in the Biennial Report to Congress on Improving International Fisheries Management that fail to tackle these issues. Once identified, NOAA collaborates with those nations to address the reasons for the identification. If a nation takes appropriate corrective actions, it can receive a positive certification in the next report. If not, it receives a negative certification that can trigger a denial of U.S. port privileges, among other consequences, including seafood import restrictions.
Oceana is campaigning to stop illegal fishing, increase transparency at sea, and require traceability of all seafood. To learn more about the campaign, visit https://usa.oceana.org/StopIllegalFishing.
Background
Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is a low-risk, high-reward activity, especially on the high seas where a fragmented legal framework and lack of effective enforcement allow it to thrive. IUU fishing can include fishing without authorization, ignoring catch limits, operating in closed areas, targeting protected wildlife, and fishing with prohibited gear. These illicit activities can destroy important ocean habitat, severely deplete fish populations, and threaten global food security. These actions not only contribute to overfishing, but also give illegal fishers an unfair advantage over those who play by the rules.
Oceana released the results of a nationwide poll in July 2024, which found that American voters overwhelmingly support transparency and traceability in the seafood supply chain. Included among the key findings, 90% of voters agreed that imported seafood should be held to the same standards as U.S. caught seafood. Additionally, 91% of voters agreed that seafood caught using human trafficking and slave labor should NOT be bought or sold in the U.S. Eighty-five percent of voters agreed that all seafood should be traceable from the fishing boat to the dinner plate, and 88% say consumers should be reassured that the seafood they purchase was legally caught. Oceana’s poll, conducted by the nonpartisan polling company Ipsos using the probability-based KnowledgePanel®, surveyed 1,053 registered U.S. voters from June 28 to 30, 2024.
