The Campaign
The world’s oceans face a dire threat: Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Across the globe, IUU fishing depletes marine resources, destroys habitats, and is explicitly linked to forced labor and human rights abuses. While the federal government has taken some steps to combat these problems in the past, an estimated $2.4 billion worth of seafood derived from IUU fishing was imported into the U.S. in 2019 alone. Oceana is working to ensure that U.S. dollars do not continue supporting these illicit activities at sea, which can impact the economy, environment, and human rights. IUU fishing costs the global seafood industry as much as $26 billion to $50 billion annually. In the United States, up to 85% of the fish consumed is imported, with up to 32% of wild-caught seafood imports being products of illegal or unreported fishing. 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 essential habitats, severely deplete fish populations, and threaten global food security. These actions not only contribute to overfishing, but also give bad actors an unfair advantage over honest fishermen that play by the rules. Oceana’s campaign aims to stop illegal fishing, increase transparency at sea and require traceability for all seafood ensuring every fish sold in the U.S. is safe, legally caught, responsibly sourced, and honestly labeled.
Victories
April 1, 2012
California Senate Health Committee Passes Seafood Fraud Bill
The California Senate Committee on Health took a key step forward to combat rampant seafood fraud occurring in the Golden State by passing SB 1486, a seafood labeling bill with important ramifications for human health, environmental sustainability, and consumer protection. Oceana applauds the Senate Health Committee for taking a leadership role in confronting the appalling level of seafood fraud in California.
SB 1486 will serve as a catalyst to get to the heart of seafood mislabeling in California by requiring that chain restaurants with 19 or more locations provide consumers with key information about the seafood they are served including: the scientific common name of the seafood; the country in which the seafood was raised or caught; and whether the seafood was farm-raised or wild-caught. The Senate Health Committee was the first legislative committee to discuss the bill.
Take Action
HELP PROTECT OUR HEALTH AND GIVE US CONFIDENCE IN OUR SEAFOOD CHOICES
Tell your members of Congress that food traceability gives people trust in what they're putting on their plates, and ANY more delay is unacceptable!
SEAFOOD SHOULD NOT COME AT THE COST OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND HEALTHY OCEANS
It's time for the United States to get tough on illegal fishing. We must ensure that all seafood imported into the United States is safe, legally caught, responsibly sourced, and honestly labeled.
News & Reports
Press Releases
Reports
Around the Web
Learn More
