In South America’s oceans, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing vessels are hoovering marine life and harvesting endangered sharks for their fins. This investigation – the second of a multi-part investigation shining a light into the murky waters of IUU fishing – explores predatory tactics, rogue actors, and legal loopholes that fuel IUU fishing across Ecuador, Chile, Uruguay, and Argentina.
Conducted with American University’s Center for Latin American & Latino Studies (CLALS), the reports paint a detailed picture of IUU fishing in nine countries, examining everything from its perpetrators to its devastating effects on local fishers whose livelihoods depend on the seas. The reports also focus on how IUU fishing is coupled with other crimes, including labor abuse.
SEE ALSO: Plundered Oceans: IUU Fishing in Central American and Caribbean Waters
Investigation Chapters
Loopholes Fuel Shark Fin Trade in Ecuador
Ecuador is a hotspot for landing massive amounts of shark catch, and the nation is among the world’s biggest exporters of shark fins.
The Merluza Mafia: Middlemen Profit Off Cod Catch in Chile
Middlemen in Chile control sales of merluza, a white-fleshed fish for which there is a large appetite.
At Uruguay’s Port of Montevideo, a Deadly Circle of Fishing and Labor Abuse
Dozens of dead fishermen have been unloaded at Uruguay’s Montevideo port. Vessels that dock there have been alleged to engage in abuse at sea.
Plunder and Danger on Argentina’s Sea Shelf
Floodlights from Chinese fishing boats illuminate the darkness off Argentina’s Atlantic Coast, where the armada harvests tons of squid.
