Presidential Task Force issues recommendations

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The US Presidential Task Force on Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing and Seafood Fraud has released its recommendations to the President for a comprehensive framework to combat IUU fishing and seafood fraud.

The recommendations include input from various stakeholders and aim to level the playing field for legitimate fishermen, increase consumer confidence in the sustainability of seafood sold in the US, and ensure the vitality of marine fish stocks. The public will have an opportunity to comment on implementation of these recommendations.

The recommendations include:

International: Work with international governments, Regional Fisheries Management Organizations, and others to combat IUU fishing and seafood fraud at the international level
Enforcement: Strengthen enforcement tools to combat IUU fishing and seafood fraud
Partnerships: Create and expand partnerships with US state and local governments, industry, and non-governmental organisations to identify and eliminate seafood fraud and IUU seafood in US commerce
Traceability: Create a risk-based traceability program to track seafood from harvest to entry into US commerce to prevent entry of illegal product into the supply chain and better inform retailers and consumers

“The Task Force submitted strong recommendations to President Obama designed to stop the trade of illegal fish and promote the sale of sustainable seafood,” said Catherine Novelli, Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment. “IUU fishers gain an unfair advantage in the marketplace over law-abiding fishing operations as they do not pay the cost of sustainable production. The United States will continue to work with partners around the world to promote the proper management of marine resources for the benefit of future generations.”

The recommendations will be available for public review and comment for 30 days, beginning 18 December 18 2014, and closing 20 January 2015. Specifically, the Task Force is requesting comment on how to implement these recommendations. More information is available here. Based on comments received, the Task Force will develop an action plan for these recommendations to be released in early 2015.