Photo Essay: Southeast Asia's Overfishing Crisis — And The Effort To Uncover Its Roots

A photograph accumulation offering a uncommon look into business sportfishing successful Southeast Asia — and its effect connected vulnerable marine ecosystems — was connected show astatine a New York assemblage past month.

The nine-month investigation by freelance photojournalist Nicole Tung, titled “Overfishing successful Southeast Asia,” spans Thailand, nan Philippines and Indonesia. The activity was precocious displayed astatine nan Bronx Documentary Center, a nonprofit assemblage and acquisition space.

While nan United States enforces strict laws governing seafood imports tied to forced labor, Tung said much oversight is needed.

“Buyers don’t ever cognize wherever it’s coming from,” she said successful an question and reply connected “NBC News Daily.”

She added that women successful nan manufacture look increasing uncertainty, often moving connected docks while their husbands are employed connected commercialized sportfishing vessels.

If their husbands spell missing, “there’s usually nary ineligible recourse for them,” Tung said. “That affects their families and their livelihoods.”

According to nan Bronx Documentary Center, nan photographs trace “the travel from section ports to world markets,” exposing nan fragility — and quality costs — down seafood proviso chains that scope consumers worldwide.

Experts opportunity overfishing successful Southeast Asia requires person monitoring.

“The first important constituent is monitoring and knowing banal status,” said Matsuishi Takashi Fritz, a professor successful nan Faculty of Fisheries Sciences astatine Hokkaido University successful Japan, who added that combating illegal, unreported and unregulated sportfishing is besides critical.

Illegal, unreported and unregulated sportfishing — known arsenic IUU sportfishing — is simply a world problem that puts law-abiding seafood producers astatine a important disadvantage. According to nan Food and Agriculture Organization of nan United Nations, astir 80% of nan world’s fisheries are either afloat exploited aliases overexploited.

Tung besides offered proposal for consumers seeking to debar unknowingly supporting specified practices.

“A batch of what group tin do is publication labels cautiously and look astatine what benignant of certifications nan seafood has,” she said. “If possible, to bargain locally originated aliases from food markets that root seafood locally.”