SEAFOOD SHOULD NOT COME AT THE COST OF HEALTHY OCEANS AND HUMAN RIGHTS

The United States is one of the world’s largest importers of seafood. As much as 85% of the seafood we eat is imported from other countries. But some imported seafood comes with a dark, hidden price — it can be caught outside the bounds of the law or produced using forced labor or other horrific human rights abuses. This impacts consumers, fishers, and businesses alike.

American fishers and processors are losing an estimated $60.8 million per year due to the import of cheap IUU products. American fishers could see a 20% rise in revenue if these products were blocked.

Less than half of seafood imports are subject to documentation requirements to demonstrate that it was caught in a legal fishery. Without catch documentation and traceability, illegally sourced seafood can enter the U.S. and make it more vulnerable to mislabeling and seafood fraud. It’s time to give American fishers and businesses a fair shake.

In 2019 alone, the United States imported $2.4 billion worth of seafood that were products of IUU fishing. These illegally sourced seafood imports are sold alongside domestically caught fish. IUU fishing undermines the seafood businesses that follow the law. Fish caught in the U.S. are subject to reporting requirements, so why aren’t imports held to the same standard?

We need to level the playing field for U.S. fishers and ensure that all seafood imported into the United States is safe, legally caught, responsibly sourced, and honestly labeled. Use your voice to urge U.S. leaders to get tough on keeping illegally caught seafood out of the U.S. and enhance seafood traceability today.

Petition Text

Hello, 

I am writing to urge you to strengthen transparency and traceability throughout the seafood industry to help end illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and seafood fraud. IUU fishing is a serious threat to the American economy and our national security. The United States needs to level the playing field, so our fishermen don't have to compete against cheap imports caught by illicit means and forced labor. Americans have a right to know more about the seafood they eat and should have confidence that their dollars do not support the pillaging of the oceans or human rights abuses at sea.  

Transparency at sea and traceability of seafood are essential to ensure that all seafood crossing the U.S. border and ending up on our dinner plates is safe, legally caught, responsibly sourced, and honestly labeled. As one of the world’s largest seafood importing countries, the United States has a responsibility to ensure that the seafood products reaching consumers are not sourced from IUU fishing or forced labor. In 2019 alone, the U.S. imported $2.4 billion worth of seafood that were products of IUU fishing. Globally, IUU fishing is estimated to cause economic losses of $25 billion to $50 billion per year.   

The good news is the U.S. government has the tools to ensure the seafood entering the United States is not a product of IUU fishing or forced labor. In 2016, the U.S. government established the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP) that requires catch documentation for certain species and traceability from the boat (or aquaculture farm) to the U.S. border. The program was intended to be expanded to all species, but seven year later, SIMP currently only applies to 13 types of seafood deemed at risk of IUU fishing and seafood fraud – representing approximately 40% of U.S. imports by value and volume. The United States’ high demand for seafood, combined with SIMP’s limitations, allow seafood sourced from illegal activity to flood the U.S. market, driving economic and ecological losses around the world.    

A 2024 Ipsos poll, commissioned by Oceana, found that 90% of registered voters agree that imported seafood should be held to the same standards as U.S. caught seafood. Nearly 90% of voters also agree that consumers should be reassured that the seafood they purchase was legally caught.  

The United States must prevent seafood that has been caught illegally, or by human rights abuses, from entering our borders to protect both domestic consumers and global fishing communities.  Until then, honest fishermen, seafood businesses, consumers, and the oceans will pay the price.   

Sincerely,

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