Somewhere in the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), there lies a recently designed Marine Protected Area (MPA) aimed at preserving a number of vulnerable ocean species. However, a new report has revealed that enforcing environmental protection has been grossly overestimated, which has undermined the credibility of reports regarding illegal fishing incidents.
Greenpeace USA
by Beyond Seafood Team
The commercial fishing industry is wreaking havoc on the world’s oceans, and a big part of the story involves a massive problem that’s eluded mainstream attention: illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
IUU fishing includes everything from illegal shark-finning to fishing in protected areas and without permission in other nation’s waters. Each year 56 billion tons of marine wildlife are harvested illegally, and in 2019, an estimated $2.4 billion worth of IUU seafood was imported into the US.
IUU fishing is a scourge devastating the world’s oceans, but focusing on the environmental impact alone only reveals part of the picture. IUU fishing is a risky business, and in many cases, the only way to run an IUU fishing operation is through forced labor and human trafficking
North Coast Rep Huffman introduces bill to fight illegal fishing, forced labor krcrtv.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from krcrtv.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Press release content from Globe Newswire. The AP news staff was not involved in its creation.
Congress Introduces Bold New Legislation to Combat Illegal Fishing, Seafood Fraud
OceanaMay 11, 2021 GMT
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WASHINGTON, May 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) Today, Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) and Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA) introduced the Illegal Fishing and Forced Labor Prevention Act, a comprehensive bill to end illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, expand transparency, and stop seafood fraud, while strengthening U.S. leadership on issues that threaten our oceans, consumers, and human rights.
A report by the International Trade Commission found that the United States imported $2.4 billion worth of seafood imports derived from IUU fishing in 2019. IUU fishing is off the books and can include fishing in closed areas or with prohibited gear, or for unmanaged species in unmanaged regions. IUU fishing can also be a driver of forced labor and other human rights abuses. The new l