Fisheries Genetics Fisheries Genetics

Deterring Illegal Activities in the Fisheries Sector: Genetics, Chemistry and Forensics to Fight IUU Fishing and in Support to Fish Product Traceability

In the frame of its activities in the area of IUU fishing and fish product traceability the JRC published in 2011 a high-level report on available state-of-the-art molecular techniques and technologies to support the fight against IUU fishing and traceability schemes in the fisheries sector. The ambition of this JRC report is to catalyse an informed dialogue among the various stakeholders, thereby contributing to effective capacity building and technology transfer. To this end the report

• Discusses how molecular technologies can be used for traceability and in support of fisheries control and enforcement;
• Provides examples of cases where molecular techniques were employed to reveal fisheries fraud and to generate evidence in court cases;
• Demonstrate the feasibility and operational potential of these technologies in real-world contexts;
• Explores possibilities for translating forensic genetics and chemistry into a European fisheries control and enforcement framework, within the context of the current EU policies and legislation.

Link to report.
Link to EU Bookshop.
Link to Press Release (EN/FR/DE/IT/ES)
Link to IUU Fishing & Traceability Webpage.