Recent stories and investigations are revealing and heightening attention to labor issues, on-the-water human rights, and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in seafood supply chains.
Large scale illegal fishing undermines fish stocks, puts fishers at risk, and is unfair to fishers and suppliers operating legally. The ideal industry response and solution eliminates IUU from entire fisheries, not just individual supply chains.
This SFP-sponsored SeafoodSource webinar highlighted ways that seafood buyers and suppliers can help combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Speakers included:
- SFP Chief Executive Officer Jim Cannon reviewed the historical use of control documents to stop IUU fishing in the Barents Sea cod fishery. He noted that, while key tools and approaches already exist to stop IUU fishing, there is still a need for stronger commitments by retailers and food service across the entire sector.
- SFP Supply Chain Roundtables Director Carmen González-Vallés looked at the challenge of stopping IUU fishing in high-seas squid fisheries and emphasized the need for companies to do effective due diligence to understand where their squid is coming from and ensure its legality.
- Michael Cohen, Market Outreach Associate, International Seafood Sustainability Foundation, discussed ISSF’s vessel registration system designed to increase transparency in tuna fisheries.
- SFP Global Policy Director Braddock Spear spoke on other global anti-IUU initiatives and donor interest in anti-IUU efforts,
- Mark Taylor, Senior Director for Strategy and Global Partnerships, The Issara Institute, highlighted the importance of incorporating worker voice to empower workers and address the root causes of labor risks in seafood supply chains.