TRAFFIC - Verification First and IUU

Verification and illegal, unreported, and unregulated IIU legislation for fisheries is one way to by pass cultural heritage arguments when dealing with issues ranging from tuna harvests to shark fin.

By making the argument about the trade itself and the illegal importation of red list species legislation of this kind has a chance to accomplish its goals without perceived or politically motivated food source culture push back.

Tokyo, Japan, 16th February 2011—TRAFFIC Japan today
hosted a seminar entitled “Towards traceability and sustainable use of
marine resources: international trends and activities in Japan”, and in
a TRAFFIC first, the seminar was broadcast live online.

The aim of the seminar was to challenge people to answer the question as
to whether the fish on their dinner table has been caught legally or not.

“Here in Japan, there is growing awareness of the problems caused by IUU
[illegal unreported and unregulated] fishing of salmon, tuna, sharks and
other marines resources, and consumers are increasingly demanding
greater traceability in the source of the fish they eat, to ensure it
comes from legal and sustainable sources,” says Soyo Takahashi,
Fisheries Officer with TRAFFIC Japan.

“This seminar provides an opportunity for those interested in this issue
to hear how the experts are ensuring greater transparency in the
fisheries supply chain.”

Speakers included Mr Melcom Pohl Block, Namibian Ministry of Fisheries
Marine Resources on “Namibia and the challenge of sustainable
fisheries”; Mr Richard Parsons from the UK Government’s Department for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) on “The EU’s IUU fisheries
regulations and enforcement, with particular reference to the UK”; Mr
Nakamura Nobuyuki, Senior Managing Director of an eel retailing company
on “Traceability and eel farming: Production and public certification”;
plus TRAFFIC’s Ms Joyce Wu and Ms Soyo Takahashi and Ms Aiko Yamauchi of
WWF Japan.

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