Seafood should not come at the cost of human rights and healthy oceans.

The United States is one of the world’s largest importer of seafood, importing up to 85% of its seafood. But some of that seafood comes at a dark hidden price – produced by illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, forced labor, and other human rights abuses.  

In 2016, the U.S. government established the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP), with the intent for the program to cover all seafood. But seven years later, the program only covers about 40% of imports. The constant movement of seafood across borders and between hands, coupled with a lack of visibility in vessel activity and limited traceability requirements, make it difficult to trace fish from boat to plate. 

In 2019 alone, the United States imported $2.4 billion worth of seafood that were products of IUU fishing – an illicit activity that can include fishing without authorization, ignoring catch limits, operating in closed areas, targeting protected wildlife, and fishing with prohibited gear while destroying important habitats, severely depleting fish populations, and threatening global security. Weak laws and lax enforcement of illegal fishing enable rogue fishermen to force vulnerable people into working on fishing boats under inhumane, violent, and abusive conditions for months or even years. 

We must ensure that all seafood imported into the United States is safe, legally caught, responsibly sourced, and honestly labeled. Use your voice to urge President Biden to get tough on illegal fishing today.