New study reveals key players in global transshipment, boosting seafood transparency

Fish taxies—refrigerated cargo vessels or reefers that function as mobile ports for fishing boats—are frequently described as weak links in the traceability of the seafood value chain. For the first time, research has identified the owners of all globally used reefers, the flags they use, and the fishing vessels they meet.The new article, published in Science Advances, shows that only 324 owners are responsible for all transshipment of fish worldwide, with China, Russia and Greece playing a significant role. "A major step for more transparency," says lead author Frida Bengtsson of the Stockholm Resilience Center at Stockholm University.Refrigerated cargo vessels— or "reefers"—play a significant role in the seafood industry. For instance, nearly a third of global tuna catch (worth US$10.4 billion) is transhipped annually.Transshipment, the transfer of catches but also people, spare parts and fuel between a fishing vessel and a reefer, has been repeatedly described as opaque and ...