Biden Admin. Fails to Deliver Meaningful Action Against Illegal Fishing at Global Our Ocean Conference in Palau
PALAU, April 14, 2022–(Business WIRE)–The Biden administration unsuccessful to provide meaningful motion to secure our oceans from illegal fishing on the earth phase this 7 days at the yearly Our Ocean convention, having spot in Palau.
“Even with robust statements from U.S. leadership, together with President Joe Biden, previous President Barack Obama, Special Envoy John Kerry, and Assistant Secretary Monica Medina, and commitments from many other nations around the world, the United States unsuccessful to provide any meaningful action on illegal fishing or transparency at this week’s Our Ocean convention in Palau,” said Beth Lowell, Oceana’s deputy vice president for the United States. “This was a skipped possibility for the Biden administration to guide the globe in the fight towards illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. We’re unhappy the Our Ocean convention closed without action from the United States on IUU fishing. The time for motion is now, our oceans and coastal communities cannot hold out. Unlawful fishing proceeds to undermine balanced oceans and anyone that depends on them for food stuff and livelihoods. We’re calling on President Biden to expand packages developed beneath the Obama administration to support preserve illegally caught seafood out of the U.S. marketplace. The United States have to level the playing industry for American fishers, and that starts off with holding seafood imports to the same standards as U.S. caught fish, increasing transparency of fishing, and requiring seafood traceability. The Biden administration has an chance and obligation to make sure all seafood bought in the United States is harmless, lawfully caught, responsibly sourced, and honestly labeled.”
Background on Illegal Fishing:
In the United States, up to 85{aa306df364483ed8c06b6842f2b7c3ab56b70d0f5156cbd2df60de6b4288a84f} of the fish we consume is imported. A report by the International Trade Commission observed that the United States imported $2.4 billion truly worth of seafood derived from IUU fishing in 2019. IUU fishing is a very low-chance, significant-reward action, specifically on the high seas where a fragmented authorized framework and lack of efficient enforcement let it to thrive. IUU fishing can involve fishing without the need of authorization, disregarding catch boundaries, working in closed spots, targeting secured wildlife, and fishing with prohibited equipment. These illicit functions can demolish essential ocean habitat, severely deplete fish populations, and threaten global food security. These actions not only add to overfishing, but also give unlawful fishermen an unfair advantage more than these who engage in by the policies.
At the initially Our Ocean conference in 2014, President Obama championed combating IUU fishing and seafood fraud. There, he declared a Presidential Job Force on Combating IUU Fishing and Seafood Fraud that was comprised of federal agencies billed with determining actions the U.S. federal government could take to deal with these difficulties. The Task Force launched its final recommendations and motion approach in March 2015, which incorporated a phone for seafood traceability.
In 2016, the U.S. governing administration formally recognized the Seafood Import Monitoring Application (SIMP), demanding catch documentation and traceability for some seafood at possibility of illegal fishing and seafood fraud. Regrettably, SIMP at this time only applies to 13 kinds of imported seafood and only traces them from the boat to the U.S. border. In a report unveiled previously this year, Oceana confirmed that gaps in SIMP are making it possible for U.S. seafood demand to travel IUU fishing close to the globe.
In January 2021, Oceana unveiled the final results of a nationwide poll acquiring that Us citizens overwhelmingly assist procedures to end unlawful fishing and seafood fraud. Incorporated amongst the important results, 89{aa306df364483ed8c06b6842f2b7c3ab56b70d0f5156cbd2df60de6b4288a84f} of voters concur that imported seafood should be held to the very same standards as U.S. caught seafood. Moreover, 81{aa306df364483ed8c06b6842f2b7c3ab56b70d0f5156cbd2df60de6b4288a84f} of voters say they assistance guidelines that stop seafood from staying sold in the U.S. that was caught utilizing human trafficking and slave labor. Eighty-three per cent of voters concur that all seafood ought to be traceable from the fishing boat to the meal plate, and 77{aa306df364483ed8c06b6842f2b7c3ab56b70d0f5156cbd2df60de6b4288a84f} assistance needs for all fishing vessels to be publicly trackable. The conclusions clearly show prevalent bipartisan assistance for guidelines aimed at rising transparency and seafood traceability to make sure that all seafood is secure, lawfully caught, responsibly sourced, and truthfully labeled.
Oceana is the premier worldwide advocacy firm devoted entirely to ocean conservation. Oceana is rebuilding abundant and biodiverse oceans by successful science-centered procedures in international locations that regulate just one-3rd of the world’s wild fish catch. With more than 225 victories that quit overfishing, habitat destruction, pollution, and the killing of threatened species like turtles and sharks, Oceana’s strategies are delivering results. A restored ocean usually means that 1 billion individuals can love a wholesome seafood food, each working day, eternally. Together, we can save the oceans and assist feed the planet. Go to Usa.Oceana.org to master more.
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Contacts
Megan Jordan, +1 703.401.3004 (mobile), [email protected]
Dustin Cranor, +1 954.348.1314 (cell), [email protected]
