Illegal fishing is one of the most under-prioritized environmental and economic crimes in our world today. Up to 28 million tons of fish valued at $10-23 billion are caught illegally every year, according to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization.
Illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing – or “IUU” – unleashes a vicious circle by depleting fish stocks, depriving communities of essential food sources and economic vitality, damaging marine ecosystems, and becoming the grist for organized crime operations that perpetuate illicit practices that are easily covered up.
“Illegal fish can penetrate the supply chains quite easily,” says the World Wildlife Fund. “Once intermingled, illegal products are very difficult to detect.”
Recognizing the role of citizens in exposing and stopping illegal fishing, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) is hosting the webinar, “Protecting and Incentivizing Whistleblowers to Combat Fisheries Crimes.” The event will be held on Thursday, January 21 at 3:30 pm CET (9:30 EST).
The webinar will feature:
• Stephen Kohn and Kelsey Condon of the whistleblower law firm Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto
• John Kostyack of the National Whistleblower Center
• Mark Worth of Whistleblowing International
Click here to register, or contact the Blue Justice Initiative here.
The Blue Justice webinar series is supported by the UNDP’s Blue Resilience Project and the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries.
