SUPPLY CHAIN

so important ? As a report released by Oceana in July of 2015 points out , 64 species of fish are currently allowed to be sold as “ grouper ” in the U . S .— 36 percent of those species are considered at risk for extinction , and a lack of specificity in naming deprives consumers of the ability to make fully informed and more responsible purchasing choices .

“ We ’ re not saying you can ’ t use the acceptable market name , but part of the traceability requirements we would like to see is either the common name or scientific name also accompanying the seafood product throughout supply chain , and to getting that onto the label ,” said Snyder . “ We think that consumers deserve to be able to make choices with all the information .”

Businesses can also take action on their own to stay ahead of the curve and improve their supply chains , working with sustainability and traceability-focused supply chain solutions like Trace Register to keep product information consistent and track your shipments throughout the supply chain . But while a business can monitor its own actions , keeping tabs on the actions of suppliers is substantially more difficult — especially if those suppliers are halfway around the world . For this reason , mandates on a federal level like the Presidential Task Force are crucial to making widespread changes in the industry .

For inspiration that such a program could make a difference , the U . S . Task Force can look to the European Commission ’ s IUU regulations first enacted in 2010 .

“ Since the IUU Regulation entered into force in 2010 , it has had a farreaching impact on the fight against IUU fishing ,” stated the commission in a recent update . “ Since 2010 , the Commission has investigated more

16 October 2015