Federal government is allowing US dollars to drive illegal fishing and forced labour around the world, says Oceana

Americans are eating seafood from countries with a history of illegal fishing and human rights violations at sea, determines new analysis from Oceana, with the ocean conservation organisation insisting that US authorities are failing to protect seafood consumers while allowing American dollars to drive illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and forced labour around the world. 

The report highlights US government trade data for seafood imports from 10 countries recognised internationally for IUU fishing offenses or human rights abuses, including China and Russia. Other countries included in the analysis are Taiwan, Cameroon, Mexico, Costa Rica, Senegal, Panama, Cambodia and Vietnam. 

Oceana found that only about 30% of the total volume of seafood imports from these countries are subject to traceability requirements by the US government.