March 16, 2016

Report: IUU Pacific tuna costs $740M a year

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Phys.Org

Illegal tuna fishing in the Pacific has reached a "staggering" value of up to US$740 million a year, a study released Tuesday found.

The Pacific supplies about 60 percent of the world's tuna, an economic mainstay for some small island nations, but the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) study is the first attempt to quantify the impact of banned activities.

After two years of research, the European Union-funded study concluded 276,000-338,000 tonnes of Pacific tuna were taken illegally every year.

It estimated the value of the black market catch at US$616 million, but said it could range anywhere from $US520 million to US$740 million.

"The results seem confronting when you hear them up front—the thought of US$616 million dollars' worth of illegal fish is staggering," FFA director general James Movick said.

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