August 12, 2015

U.S. loses on illegally caught Russian crab

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Fish Information & Services

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A report recently released by Frequentz and the Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers reveals that an estimated USD 600 million has been lost in U.S. tax revenue and commercial fishing profits since 2000 as a result of competition with illegal Russian crab entering the US market.

The document highlights the importance of the Bering Sea Alaskan king crab fishery to the US economy: in 2013 US landings of king crab were more than 15.4 million pounds valued at over USD 82.9 million (National Marine Fisheries Service, Fisheries of the US 2013).

And it explains that in addition to the significant economic impact and threat to the livelihoods of small, independently owned family businesses, consumers are being duped by illegally harvested crab entering the global supply chain, often under the pretense of being sustainably sourced.

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