Illegal Fishing and Transparency - Oceana USA

Illegal Fishing and Transparency

Expanding Transparency and Traceability to Stop Illegal Fishing and Seafood Fraud

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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

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Protect Seafood Traceability

Tell your U.S. Representatives and Senators that you do not want them to co-sponsor or support ANY legislation that would obstruct or weaken the FDA’s food traceability requirements, especially for seafood.

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SEAFOOD SHOULD NOT COME AT THE COST OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND HEALTHY OCEANS

Tell President Biden: 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.

SIGN THE PETITION

TELL NOAA: EXPAND TRACEABILITY TO ALL SEAFOOD

Use your voice to stop destructive fishing and human rights abuses in seafood.

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News & Reports

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Blog

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Reports

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Around the Web

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What is Seafood Fraud?

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Seafood Fraud Reports

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The Global Reach of Seafood Fraud

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2016 National Seafood Fraud Testing Results (MAP)

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More than 500 Chefs for Seafood Traceability (MAP)

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Shrimp Fraud Report Infographic

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Infographic: What is the Path Your Seafood Takes?

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Conservation Impacts of Seafood Fraud

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Examples of Commonly Mislabeled Seafood

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What Can You Do? Tips for Consumers

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VIDEO: One Name One Fish

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VIDEO: Fish Stories

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2019 Nationwide Seafood Fraud Testing Results

Fact Sheet

How Oceana Uses Global Fishing Watch Data

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What is AIS?

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Fact Sheet: Human Rights Abuses at Sea

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Overlap of Tagged Sharks and Commercial Fishing

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Video of Tagged Sharks Overlaid with Commercial Fishing

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Hotspots of Suspected Transshipping

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View Global Fishing Watch Here

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Photos from Global Fishing Watch Launch

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Poll: American Voters Want to End Illegal Fishing & Seafood Fraud

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Health Risks of Seafood Fraud

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Fact Sheet: China’s Global Fishing Footprint

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AIS Keeps the Light On at Sea

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FEATURED CAMPAIGN

Plastic Pollution

Oceana campaigns to stop plastic pollution at the source — by working to pass local, state, and national policies that reduce the production and use of unnecessary single-use plastic and move toward refill and reuse systems.

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CAMPAIGN HIGHLIGHTS

Ending the Shark Fin Trade

Protecting Ocean Habitats

Responsible Fishing

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We have already protected nearly 4 million square miles of ocean and innumerable sea life - but there is still more to be done.

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