1. Markus Burgener – Programme Coordinator
TRADE MONITORING- A TOOL IN TACKLING ILLEGAL FISHING
Markus Burgener – Programme Coordinator

2. Fish catch and trade chain compliance controls
STATE AGENCIES: FISHERIES – CUSTOMS – TAX AUTHORITIES – POLICE
Observers
VMS
Patrols
Invoices
Permit
Permit
Routine Inspections
Invoices
Routine inspections
DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA DATA
Import & Export
Retail and restaurant
Sea
Landing
Buyer
Processor
Trader
Consumer
Plate
A fairly standard trade chain for fish product in international trade – from boat to plate.
At each point you have controls, systems for enforcing these controls and a variety of agencies with a mandate for enforcement
– at sea and landing this is mostly just fisheries agencies, from that point on the product is essentially in trade. Arguably the greatest effort in tackling illegal fishing is on the water and at landing – these measures are by far the most expensive ones.
Trade controls involve lots of documents - on their own these provide enforcement challenges – are they original/forged/a lot of information that needs to be verified and assume a lot of knowledge o the part of the enforcement official.
Trade control situations provide challenges but also opportunities need to be disruptive in as many places as possible if we are going to deal with the group near the top of Eve’s pyramid.
And also involves seafood products in various traded forms that provide identification challenges – processed, dried, filleted, in container
Now talk though some examples of specific cases that illustrate the challenges, but first show a pic that highlights the challenge of id and documentation
Voluntary compliance through purchase of certified product
Customs export /import permits/controls
EU Reg catch certificates
RFMO trade document: CDS and SDP
CITES documents
Monitors
Shore-based compliance officials
Permit
Invoices
Routine inspections

3. What data are we looking at and comparing?
HS code: : Dogfish and other sharks, frozen
Data (HS) collected and held by National Customs and Statistical Agencies
Data collected and held by National Fisheries Agencies
Fish Catches
Country A
Export of fish products
Border
Import of fish products
Country B
In international trade, an export permit/record is captured by the country form which the product is exported. This will contain information on the nature of the product using the WCO managed Harmonised system – if it’s poached abalone it would be declared as something other than abalone e.g. frozen fish, other or duvets, car parts, bathroom accessories.
In the country of import – mostly Hong Kong, the consignment is openly declared as what it is – abalone – because there is no national legislation that requires the importer to demonstrate that the product was legally sourced. So the importer runs no risk at all in declaring it for what it is. In fact the risk is greater if they mis-declare it.
Even if the importing country has been notified about a consignment by the South African government, and that consignment is known to contain poached abalone, if the importer declares it as abalone, the consignment can not be stopped and no action can be taken.
2 separate documents that are not compared: An export document and an import document

4. What information should we/could we access?
Trade monitoring can guide us to finding information on:
Possible volumes and values of illegally sourced products
Trade routes for illegally sourced seafood products, including countries of transit and market States
IUU catch and trade not previously identified
Level and nature of misdeclarations
Containers/consignments
Importing and exporting companies
Shipping agents
Documents (SARS forms, bill of lading, health certificates etc)
Only available to government officials

5. Estimating poaching levels: South African abalone

6. Identifying transit and market States
Imports of all forms of H. midae from sub-Saharan Africa as reported by all importing countries, 2000 – 2016

7. Determining trading countries and volumes
Quantity (kg)
Hong Kong imports,

8. Determining the value of poaching and associated trade
The estimated import value of illegally harvested abalone compared to the import value of products from South Africa’s top export fisheries, in 2016

9. IUU catch and trade not previously identified
Overall reported exports of fish maw from all reporting African countries compared to overall imports reported by Hong Kong,
Fish maw trade

11. How do we get the data?
Trade data: Is almost all free and easily available over the internet! Some data has to be purchased but this is only the case for a few countries and costs are generally very reasonable.
Catch data: Depends on how good systems are for recording catch data. NB: Where there is no or poor catch data, good quality import data can provide a very useful proxy figure. Trade analysis can provide an indication of catch volumes (legal and illegal) – for that proportion of catch that is exported.