A Fifth Of World's Fish Landings Are Illegal
About a fifth of the world's fish landings are illegal and the proportion is increasing, adding to the global problem of declining fish stocks, scientists have said.
The global illegal catch is reckoned at between £1 and £4.5 billion a year, according to a study carried out for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
The body also known as the World Conservation Union said declining fish stocks and growing consumer demand for marine food were encouraging corrupt fishing practices and even the false labelling of products as "eco-fish".
Research showed there were incidents of officials taking bribes, of renaming and mislabelling of fish products, of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, exceeding of quotas, piracy and harassment of observers...
