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Infographic: How Illegal Fish Arrives on Your Dinner Plate

How Illegal Fish Arrives on Your Dinner Plate

Illegally caught seafood looks the same as any other seafood you buy at a store or in a market, making it extremely difficult for you to tell right from wrong.

From the ocean to your plate, there are multiple opportunities for illegal seafood to enter the market.

up to $23 billion is lost globally each year due to illegal fishing

Legal Fishing

Fish are caught in parts of the ocean with proper permits.

Illegal Fishing

Fish are caught in parts of the ocean where fishing is not permitted, or caught in greater numbers than a fisher's permit allows. In some cases, boats head out to fish and unload their illegal catch onto a larger ship out at sea.

Flagged or registered fishing boats land at a port and the fish catch is checked by an inspector, and paperwork is approved.

The fish catch is shipped to a primary processor, which can be local or thousands of miles away.

Some fish go to multiple locations for further processing.

Fish are exported to international seafood markets.

FOR SALE $$ per pound

A distributor takes the fish to market or stores to be sold.

Your Dinner Plate

LEGAL?

Trace it back to the boat:
Can you tell if the seafood on your plate was legally or illegally fished?

 

Together, We Can Fix this Process

Fishing operations occur far from the eyes of consumers and regulators; the US needs to establish and enforce more transparent and traceable fishing practices.

Stop Stolen Seafood From Entering the US

Speak out against illegally caught fish.

Take Action Nowh

Share the Facts

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