Read on Twitter
90% of the world’s fisheries fully exploited or facing collapse: https://nyti.ms/2qkQcTH West Africa now go to spot for Chinese fishing.
Warming seas are driving commercial seafood poleward into waters controlled by other countries, setting up international conflicts. https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/06/climate-change-drives-fish-wars-science-environment/
More context from a couple years ago about the fishing industry, labor & maritime law: https://twitter.com/drixander/status/625640003679289344?s=21 + https://twitter.com/drixander/status/623106171688214528?s=21
US imported more seafood in 2017 than any prior year: https://apnews.com/aac21ba31ed346069d2a8105faf6fa1f
There’s current leg pending that deals with overfishing. From CAP: https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/news/2018/06/25/452717/top-3-reasons-congress-shouldnt-legalize-overfishing/
'They are taking out a generation of tuna': overfishing causes crisis in Philippines. https://amp.theguardian.com/environment/2018/aug/23/they-are-taking-out-a-generation-of-tuna-overfishing-causes-crisis-in-philippines Exploitable fish reserves in Asia Pacific waters are on course to crash to zero by 2048.
Commercial fishing banned across much of the Arctic, will safeguard an area about the size of the Mediterranean for at least the next 16 years. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/03/commercial-fishing-banned-across-much-of-the-arctic Climate change + overfishing in traditional areas led companies to start exploring.
It’s no secret that the world’s fisheries are in trouble. In response, a radical idea is under serious consideration: a complete ban on fishing in international waters, also called the high seas. https://daily.jstor.org/governing-fisheries-in-the-high-seas/
Louisiana's undocumented workers unite under Seafood Workers Alliance to fight workplace abuses in the state’s $2bn a year seafood industry: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/oct/12/louisiana-seafood-workers-union-undocumented-abuse There’s hundreds of members in 15 different plants throughout Louisiana. #1u
Very interesting piece on overfishing, the impact on Senegalese fishermen and their limited options, and how their neighbors in Mauritania are handling foreign buyers & illegal fishing. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-46017359
For years, Liberia fought a losing battle against the foreign vessels illegally fishing & plundering its coastline. Then a bold new approach sent fines – and arrests – soaring. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jan/28/liberia-eco-vigilantes-score-arresting-success-in-struggle-to-end-illegal-fishing
This Fearless Woman Is Fighting To Keep Slavery Out Of Your Seafood: https://n.pr/2G9LSQI
Climate crisis drives Tunisia fishing trade into troubled waters: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/sep/09/climate-crisis-drives-tunisia-fishing-trade-into-troubled-waters?CMP=share_btn_tw Smuggling goods or even people is an increasingly tempting option, other fishermen have become an integral part of the rescue mission to aid sunken migrant boats they see while out at work.
Over 4,400 vessels (about 12% of global shipping) fly Liberia’s flag. https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2019/10/19/why-do-one-in-ten-ships-fly-tiny-liberias-flag
This is from a week ago: Nestlé admits slavery and coercion used in catching its seafood https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/nestle-seafood-thailand-1.3331127?__vfz=medium%3Dsharebar The study found virtually all US & European companies buying seafood from Thailand are exposed to the same risks of abuse in their supply chains.
A crisis in the water is decimating this once-booming fishing town off the coast of Angola: https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/world/climate-environment/angola-climate-change/ It’s a fast-warming hot spot, more than 3x the global avg rate of ocean warming. Ultimately, unchecked warming could also cause Angola to lose 20% of its fisheries.
The Philippines for decades has supplied the largest share of labor on the world’s cargo ships. The Lonely and Dangerous Life of the Filipino Seafarer: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/30/world/asia/philippines-mariners-cargo-ships.html Some great photos with this piece.
Realized I had some older articles that belong on this thread. On maritime law: https://twitter.com/drixander/status/623098093962027008?s=21 https://twitter.com/DriXander/status/623098093962027008
And a mini thread on cruise ships. https://twitter.com/DriXander/status/1145676616154124288
And the latest on cruise ship crews, some 100k folk, that are currently stuck in COVID limbo, many without pay & unsure when they may get home. https://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2020/05/the-floating-proletariat
Seafood Working Group Tackles Forced Labor and Environmental Abuses in Asia and the Pacific: https://laborrights.org/blog/202008/seafood-working-group-tackles-forced-labor-and-environmental-abuses-asia-and-pacific Wasn’t familiar with this group at all.
From yesterday on the global seafaring labor force that many forget: https://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2020/09/the-forgotten-workers + news this morning that crew members stranded since the beginning of the pandemic without pay are heading home: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/14/stranded-mauritian-cruise-ship-workers-begin-journey-home-coronavirus #1u
How were 100s of infected Carnival passengers allowed to disembark in Sydney & return to homes around the world? https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-09-15/carnival-s-ruby-princess-cruise-ship-spread-coronavirus-around-the-world “Only one group aboard the Ruby was treated almost from the start as potential carriers of the virus. Its 1,000-plus crew members...”
