On December 13th 2011, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and The Senate Oceans Caucus held a briefing on: International Pirate Fishing: Impacts and Solutions. Along with Dr. Rashid Sumaila, Director of the UBC Fisheries Centre, panelists included Dr. Jane Lubchenco (Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), Deirdre Warner-Kramer (Senior Foreign Affairs Officer, Department of State), Arni Thomson (president of the United Fishermen of Alaska), Joe Plesha (Chief Legal Officer, Trident Seafood Corporation), and Bill DiMento (Director of Corporate Sustainability, High Liner Foods). Here is what the Senate had to say about IUU fishing:

Illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing, commonly referred to as IUU or pirate fishing, is a global problem that threatens healthy ocean ecosystems and sustainable fisheries both here and abroad.  It is estimated that annual lost revenues from pirate fishing activities can be as much as $23 billion worldwide and that as much as 40 percent of the total catch for some fish stocks is caught illegally.  The impacts of these activities are felt throughout the fishery supply chain, from the fisherman through the consumer, and affect food security and socio-economic stability in many parts of the world.  This includes the United States where our own sustainable fisheries and markets may be undermined through unfair competition with illegally caught product.

To combat this threat, the United States has worked to secure an agreement that would raise global standards for seafood markets to levels similar to those that we set domestically.  The agreement would bar illegal fishing vessels from entering ports and bringing their goods to market and would establish a regime to ensure compliance.  Senators Inouye, Begich, Snowe, Whitehouse, and Murkowski will be introducing legislation, the Pirate Fishing Elimination Act, to implement this agreement.