White House Announces Fishing Accord

On October 24 the United States and Indonesia memorialized a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Maritime Cooperation designed to promote security at sea, sustainable marine development, and sustainable use of ocean resources. Under the MOU, the U.S. will assist Indonesia by protecting marine biodiversity, developing sustainable fisheries management programs, and combatting illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activity. That support is intended to improve Indonesia’s ability to comply with the U.S. seafood traceability program, which is being developed to combat seafood fraud and track IUU seafood within the U.S., which undercuts profits margins for U.S. fishermen. Additionally, the U.S. will provide funding to combat forced labor in the fishing industry under the MOU.