Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing continues to be a problem across our oceans. The impacts of IUU fishing are far-reaching, affecting the abundance of fish populations, fishing communities, the seafood industry and consumers.
Legislation is critically important to enable the US to play a stronger role in combating illegal foreign fishing and to level the playing field for companies like ours who are working hard to source legal and responsibly produced seafood.
H.R. 774 — The Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Enforcement Act of 2015 opens in a new tab, would allow for improved US enforcement against illegal fishing and prevent port entry, access, and supplies to foreign fishing vessels that are known to be involved in illegal activities. Importantly, this legislation would restrict IUU vessels from being able to access global seafood markets and eliminate key economic incentives for illegal fishing operations.
For over a decade, Whole Foods Market has shown our commitment to sourcing seafood sustainably opens in a new tab. Our industry-leading Quality Standards for both wild-caught and farmed seafood, which include strict requirements for traceability, demonstrate our daily efforts to not only source the most responsibly produced seafood, but also to create a model for a more sustainable seafood industry.
We will continue to follow IUU legislation carefully and do our part to let our leaders know how important sustainable seafood is to our customers as well as to our oceans.
Working together, we can help restore our marine and coastal ecosystems and build a more sustainable seafood market.
