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HALIFAX – This is a phenomenon that occurs far from the shore, fishing vessels transferring their catch to large refrigerated vessels that transport the lucrative goods to the ports for distribution around the world whole.
transshipment – has operated for decades in the shadows, largely out of the reach of prying eyes and national jurisdiction.
But researchers using surveillance technology who can inspect vessels from space have for the first time highlighted transhipments, an innovation dating back to the 1960s and linked to illegal fishing, drug trafficking and violations of human rights.
Their report, published Wednesday in Science Advances, identifies global hot spots where transhipments seem to occur most frequently. helps fill in the empty spaces of what happens to a fish from the moment it is taken to the moment it ends on the dinner table.
"said Boris Worm, a marine biologist at Dalhousie University in Halifax on Wednesday, and co-author of the report. Worm said the researchers badyzed the data collected through satellite identification systems, which could identify the areas where the suspected transhipments were taking place and also which species were
They found out that Between 2012 and 2017, there were 501 meetings with 1,856 fishing vessels and refrigerated cargo vessels – known as reefers – in 10,510 likely transshipment events around the world. Many took place in the "hotspots" off West Africa, the tropical Pacific and Russia which had the largest number of reefers
Most transhipments involved trawlers and longliners. Other species, such as salmon and shellfish, are also transferred to the sea, according to the study. It found that 35 per cent of transhipments took place on the high seas, with the remainder in exclusive economic zones where most of the world's fisheries take place.
The data showed that the average transhipment took about 11 hours, the fishing vessels
The paper notes that most of the world's catches of seafood – 100 million tons a year – are landed directly at sea. carried by fishing vessels operating in coastal or national waters. But he warns that trans-shipment can mix illegally caught fish with legal catch, thus obscuring their origins.
"Fish of different origins, different species and different legal status are all mixed, so you may have fished legally mixed with unsustainable fish," he said. Sometimes we are led to think that it's sustainable, but in reality often this information is not factual. "
Worm said that transhipment is not illegal and can reduce fuel costs for ships that can unload their catch at sea without having to return to port, this can also lead to human rights violations and the transfer of illicit goods.
This practice allows ships to fishing to stay at sea for months, which raises the possibility of abuse at the workplace at sea for months or years at a time, "said Worm. "They are basically held captive at sea. It's horrible."
Worm stated that the automatic identification system technology used in his research should be used more widely to better monitor what is captured and where it is landed. 19659002] He said that part of the problem is that there is a regulatory mosaic regarding the monitoring and enforcement of illegal fishing practices and transshipment. Canada uses a vessel monitoring system to track transhipments, while some countries such as Thailand and Indonesia prohibit or suspend this practice in their waters.
The technology also provides a glimpse into the tuna boat odyssey transhipped to China and Taiwan. and Panama. He concluded that it took about six months from catching yellowfin tuna to have a final canned product on the shelf. Tuna has traveled thousands of kilometers to reach its final destination.
"The fish changes hands three to four or five times, it travels an average of 17,000 kilometers and this process can take half a year." "So these fish are well traveled, they are not really cool and they change hands many times, so there is a traceability problem that we have to solve."
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