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Date: April 18, 2024 Thu
Time: 10:38 pm
Time: 10:38 pm
Results for fishing
3 results foundAuthor: Warner, Kimberly Title: Oceana Study Reveals Seafood Fraud Nationwide Summary: Americans are routinely urged to include more seafood in their diets as part of a healthy lifestyle. Yet consumers are often given inadequate, confusing or misleading information about the seafood they purchase. The dishonest and illegal practice of substituting one seafood species for another, or seafood fraud, has been uncovered both in the United States and abroad at levels ranging from 25 to more than 70 percent for commonly swapped species such as red snapper, wild salmon and Atlantic cod. From 2010 to 2012, Oceana conducted one of the largest seafood fraud investigations in the world to date, collecting more than 1,200 seafood samples from 674 retail outlets in 21 states to determine if they were honestly labeled. DNA testing found that one-third (33 percent) of the 1,215 samples analyzed nationwide were mislabeled, according to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines. Of the most commonly collected fish types, samples sold as snapper and tuna had the highest mislabeling rates (87 and 59 percent, respectively), with the majority of the samples identified by DNA analysis as something other than what was found on the label. In fact, only seven of the 120 samples of red snapper purchased nationwide were actually red snapper. The other 113 samples were another fish. Halibut, grouper, cod and Chilean seabass were also mislabeled between 19 and 38 percent of the time, while salmon was mislabeled 7 percent of the time. Forty-four percent of all the retail outlets visited sold mislabeled fish. Restaurants, grocery stores and sushi venues all sold mislabeled fish and chances of being swindled varied greatly depending on where the seafood was purchased. Our study identified strong national trends in seafood mislabeling levels among retail types, with sushi venues ranking the highest (74 percent), followed by restaurants (38 percent) and then grocery stores (18 percent). These same trends among retail outlets were generally observed at the regional level. Seafood substitutions included species carrying health advisories (e.g. king mackerel sold as grouper; escolar sold as white tuna), cheaper farmed fish sold as wild (e.g. tilapia sold as red snapper), and overfished, imperiled or vulnerable species sold as more sustainable catch (e.g. Atlantic halibut sold as Pacific halibut). Our testing also turned up species not included among the more than 1,700 seafood species the federal government recognizes as sold or likely to be sold in the U.S. As our results demonstrate, a high level of mislabeling nationwide indicates that seafood fraud harms not only the consumer’s pocket book, but also every honest vendor or fisherman along the supply chain. These fraudulent practices also carry potentially serious concerns for the health of consumers, and for the health of our oceans and vulnerable fish populations. Because our study was restricted to seafood sold in retail outlets, we cannot say exactly where the fraudulent activity occurred. The global seafood supply chain is increasingly complex and obscure. With lagging federal oversight and minimal government inspection despite rising fish imports, and without sampling along the supply chain, it is difficult to determine if fraud is occurring at the boat, during processing, at the wholesale level, at the retail counter or somewhere else along the way. Our findings demonstrate that a comprehensive and transparent traceability system – one that tracks fish from boat to plate – must be established at the national level. At the same time, increased inspection and testing of our seafood, specifically for mislabeling, and stronger federal and state enforcement of existing laws combatting fraud are needed to reverse these disturbing trends. Our government has a responsibility to provide more information about the fish sold in the U.S., as seafood fraud harms not only consumers’ wallets, but also every honest vendor and fisherman cheated in the process--to say nothing of the health of our oceans. Details: Washington, DC: Oceana, 2013. 69p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 26, 2013 at: http://oceana.org/sites/default/files/reports/National_Seafood_Fraud_Testing_Results_FINAL.pdf Year: 2013 Country: United States URL: http://oceana.org/sites/default/files/reports/National_Seafood_Fraud_Testing_Results_FINAL.pdf Shelf Number: 127714 Keywords: Consumer FraudFishingIllegal PracticesSeafood Fraud |
Author: De Greef, Kimon Title: South Africa's illicit abalone trade: An updated overview and knowledge gap analysis Summary: More than two decades of unsustainable harvesting has had damaging, and potentially irreversible, consequences for South Africa's formerly abundant stocks of the endemic abalone, Haliotis midae. Efforts to combat the illegal trade, including listing the species in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Appendix III in 2007, conducting government-led enforcement operations, establishing designated environmental courts to deal with abalone poachers, and developing more inclusive fisheries policies have been largely unsuccessful. This has been due to a lack of adequate resources and long standing socio-political grievances between small-scale-fishermen and the post-apartheid government. In 2010, H. midae was delisted from CITES Appendix III, despite increased levels of illegal poaching, due to difficulties in implementation according to the South African government. Organized criminal syndicates have taken advantage of this socio-political dynamic mentioned above to recruit poachers from local communities who feel disenfranchised by government policy and entitled to extract the easily harvested resource. Furthermore, evidence suggests that poachers are sometimes paid for service in illegal drugs, adding another complex layer of social challenges and addiction along the coast of South Africa. Trade data analysis on abalone reveals a complex network that links poaching to syndicated trade through various countries, some of them landlocked, across southern Africa before eventually reaching Asian markets. Calls for radical governance reform have been made, but change is slow. Nevertheless, there is value in profiling the illegal trade as fully as possible, to draw lessons for dealing with poaching and other forms of wildlife crime more effectively in the future. This briefing paper is a synthesis of current knowledge about South Africa's illegal abalone fishery, drawing on both available literature and unpublished research. The briefing paper is not exhaustive, but offers a comprehensive and up to date overview of the history, drivers, impacts and modus operandi of this country's illicit abalone trade. By profiling the current situation holistically, this briefing paper aims to inform stakeholders and stimulate discussion on recommended solutions and further areas of study as described in Section 4. Details: Cambridge, UK: TRAFFIC International, 2014. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 17, 2014 at: http://www.traffic.org/storage/USAID%20W-TRAPS%20Abalone%20Briefing%20Paper_Final.pdf Year: 2014 Country: South Africa URL: http://www.traffic.org/storage/USAID%20W-TRAPS%20Abalone%20Briefing%20Paper_Final.pdf Shelf Number: 133738 Keywords: AbaloneAnimal PoachingEndangered SpeciesFishing Illegal TradeOrganized CrimeWildlife Crimes (South Africa) |
Author: Rosero, Oswaldo R. Title: An Analysis of the Law Enforcement Chain in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape Summary: The Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape is located at the far eastern edge of the tropical Pacific Ocean, to the south of Costa Rica and Panama, and to the west of Colombia and mainland Ecuador. The Seascape is naturally demarcated by the convergence of three tectonic plates. The region extends to the west as far as the Cocos Ridge, a long submarine mountain chain running from Costa Rica in the north, to the Galapagos Islands over 1,500 km to the southwest. Another chain, the Carnegie Ridge, which runs for 1,000 km, from the Galapagos Islands to the coast of Ecuador, denotes its southern limits. Within these limits lies the Panama Bight, with depths greater than 4,000 meters. Marine currents in this region are complex, moving water from the Central American coast towards the Eastern Tropical Pacific, where it flows slowly to the west to join the North Equatorial Current. Another current affecting the region is the North Equatorial Countercurrent, which brings surface water to the east. The regional waters are warm (maximum temperatures of 28 degrees Fahrenheit), but in some areas the temperature can drop to 25 degrees Celsius during periods of upwelling. This Seascape boasts diverse endemic marine and terrestrial species, and displays a high degree of ecological connectivity. It possesses complex ecological relationships due to the dynamic convergence of marine currents that affect the migration and distribution of many species. The islands in the region are home to the most extensive coral reefs in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, and some of these coral species are endemic to the region. The Seascape is a migratory destination for several threatened and endangered species including the blue whale, humpback whale, and the leatherback turtle. Due to its biological productivity, the Eastern Tropical Pacific is of key importance for tuna fisheries (yellowfin, skipjack and bigeye). The region is vulnerable to degradation as a result of the following human activities: - Illegal fishing. - Overexploitation of coastal marine resources. - Inadequately regulated tourism growth. - Risk of pollution from commercial vessels (marine transport). - Habitat loss and degradation. - Introduction of exotic species. The region is periodically subjected to extreme climatic events (El Nino - Southern Oscillation), which have negative impacts on resident and migratory species (but sometimes provide new opportunities). In recognition of its high level of biodiversity, biological productivity and the ecological value of many sites in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape, each one of its four constituent nations has established marine protected areas (MPAs) within their respective waters. - In 1978, Costa Rice declared Cocos Island a National Park with 24 km2 of terrestrial area and 1,974 km2 of marine area. - In Panama, Coiba National Park, with a terrestrial area of 537 km2 and a marine area of 2,165 km2, has existed in its current form since 2004. - Colombia has two marine protected areas in the Pacific: the Malpelo Flora and Fauna Sanctuary and the Gorgona Natural National Park, designated in 1995 and 1993 respectively. Malpelo includes 3.5 km2 of terrestrial habitat and 8,572 km2 of marine area, whereas Gorgona includes 16 km2 of terrestrial habitat and 598 km2 of marine area. - The Galapagos Marine Reserve, which covers an area approximately 133,000 km2, is the largest marine protected area in the region. The origin of the Galapagos Marine Reserve is the Special Law for the Conservation and Sustainable Development of the Province of Galapagos of 1998. It extends 40 nautical miles from a baseline around the farthest points of the Galapagos Archipelago In recognition of their great ecological value, their value as endangered species habitats, and for their natural beauty, four of the five MPAs (with the exception of Gorgona) have been designated as UNESCO World Natural Heritage Sites. UNESCO first recognized Cocos Island National Park in 1997, then the Galapagos Marine Reserve in 2001, Coiba National Park in 2005, and Malpelo Flora and Fauna Sanctuary in 2006. All these islands and their surrounding ocean share certain features - their isolation from the mainland, their endemic species, and their relatively pristine state of protection and conservation. In 2004, the governments of Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador and Colombia signed an agreement to create the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor (CMAR). The main objective of this agreement is the conservation and sustainable development of the 211 million hectare region which contains the aforementioned MPAs. The CMAR initiative is supported by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), UNESCO, Conservation International (CI), the IUCN among others. With over 80 NGOs, research organizations, local community groups, and representatives from the private sector particpating, CI's Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape (ETPS) initiative has promoted regional cooperation for the training, education and conservation of marine resources. Study Objectives The main objective of this study is to identify and evaluate the critical factors required for effective law enforcement in each MPA of the Seascape. The specific objectives are: 1. To determine the main strengths and weaknesses of the law enforcement chain in each MPA. 2. To prioritize a series of recommendations to improve the enforcement chain in each MPA. 3. To identify regional initiatives to strengthen cooperation between member states; in particular regarding the conservation of migratory species. Details: San Francisco, CA: WildAid, 2010. 80p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 20, 2016 at: http://wildaid.org/sites/default/files/resources/Law%20Enforcement%20Chain%20ETPS_0.pdf Year: 2010 Country: South America URL: http://wildaid.org/sites/default/files/resources/Law%20Enforcement%20Chain%20ETPS_0.pdf Shelf Number: 138709 Keywords: FishingIllegal FishingWildlife ConservationWildlife CrimeWildlife Law Enforcement |