Our oceans are not the Wild West
Fish and seafood are a staple in my home—fish tacos, ceviche, sushi. But no matter how good they taste, I can't help but wonder: Was it caught responsibly? Or did something terrible happen before it reached my plate?
Behind the global seafood trade lies a dangerous blind spot. Unscrupulous actors take advantage of the vastness of the ocean to fish illegally and launder their catches within the supply chain, often with devastating consequences for marine wildlife, coastal communities, and the fishers who legally operate in this industry.
This means that the fish and seafood at your favorite supermarket or restaurant could be linked to these illicit activities, and you'd have no way of knowing. But it doesn't have to be that way.
In 2023, Oceana—of which I sit on the Board—analyzed fishing activity near Ecuador’s iconic Galapagos Islands, a marine protected area since 1998. What we found was alarming: hundreds of industrial fishing vessels , mostly Chinese-flagged but also from Spain, Panama, and Ecuador, clustered near the edge of the protected area, then disappeared after their satellite tracking devices were disabled.
This type of behavior is often a sign that something is wrong. A vessel could be trying to hide its location to fish illegally, operate in another country's waters without permission, or unload its catch undetected.
Even where rules exist, they are often broken. The European Union, for example, requires vessels longer than 15 meters to keep their tracking systems on at all times unless there is a legitimate safety concern. However, in our analysis of fishing around the Galapagos, 24 Spanish-flagged vessels disappeared for over 35,000 hours combined, 53 Chinese-flagged vessels disappeared for nearly 27,000 hours, and nearly all recorded possible encounters or transshipment activities, where fishing boats transfer their catch to refrigerated cargo ships on the high seas. Although this practice is not illegal, it is often used to mix legal and illegal seafood, making them nearly impossible to track.
If these actions continue unchecked, local fishermen could soon return home empty-handed.
However, there is a better way. In 2023, artisanal dorado fishermen in San Mateo, Ecuador, where 90% of the community relies on artisanal fishing, implemented a pioneering program to build trust and traceability. Their vessels were equipped with cameras and digital tracking systems. Catch data was integrated into QR codes, allowing buyers to trace each fish back to the vessel and the people who caught it.
Peru is also taking action. The government is working to ensure that every vessel fishing for human consumption is tracked and reports its catches. This isn't just a top-down regulation; artisanal fishers are leading these initiatives, alongside organizations like Oceana.
Now, governments around the world have the opportunity to follow this example.
World leaders gathered at the Our Ocean conference, which concludes today in Busan, Korea, must commit to greater transparency and accountability in global fisheries. This means requiring all vessels to keep their tracking systems on at all times, penalizing those who disappear at sea, and supporting programs that help fishers prove they are playing by the rules. We already have the tools. Platforms like Global Fishing Watch allow anyone to track fishing vessels in near real time using satellite data. But to close the gaps, we need governments to act .
Our oceans are not the Wild West. They are a shared resource and a shared responsibility. By committing to transparency, we can protect marine ecosystems, ensure fair conditions for honest fishers, and give consumers the confidence that their seafood is safe, legally caught, and labeled with integrity.
The future of our oceans depends on what we do now. We cannot lose sight of what's at stake.
Actor, environmental advocate, and member of the Board of Directors of Oceana, a non-governmental organization dedicated to marine conservation.
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