Inadequacy of US screening system for IUU risks laid bare in trade study
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Seafood caught via illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and fishing involving forced labor amounting to USD 2.4 billion (EUR 2 billion) was imported into the United States in 2019, according to the U.S. International Trade Commission.
The report names China, Russia, Mexico, Indonesia, and Vietnam as key sources for illicit wild-caught product, with the main species involved named as swimming crab, warm-water shrimp, yellowfin tuna, and squid. The report also claims 9 percent of the harvested weight of farmed seafood imports is made up of IUU-tainted feed ingredients. It states IUU-sourced seafood is a serious threat to the jobs and earnings of U.S. fishermen.