The world’s oceans face a dire threat: illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Across the globe, IUU fishing depletes marine resources, destroys habitats and can be a driver of forced labor and human rights abuses. IUU fishing is off the books and outside the rule of law, compromising responsible and effective fisheries management. IUU fishing hides in the shadows, beyond the horizon and thrives on a lack of transparency, limited enforcement and a complex global supply chain. This costs the global seafood industry as much as $26 billion to $50 billion every year. The United States should take action to ensure all seafood is safe, legally caught, responsibly sourced and honestly labeled

Oceana’s report makes the case for expanding transparency and traceability to stop illegal fishing and seafood fraud. While the federal government has taken some steps to combat these problems in the past, Oceana says more must be done to ensure that U.S. dollars are not supporting these illicit activities at sea, which can impact the economy, environment and human rights.

Read the full report here.