Protestors at the Door: NGO Co-Opetition
Posted 3/15/10
A Narrowly Focused View of NGO Inter-relationships A Narrowly Focused View of NGO Inter-relationships [more...]

REAL SHRIMP PROTOCOLS DON'T NEED KUMBAYA GROUP HUGS
Posted 3/15/10
The new shrimp and abolone aquaculture standards ignore an important dynamic. [more...]

Aquaculture is Coming of Age: The Problems & Pluses
Posted 10/30/07
The world acknowledges the need for more seafood production and is looking to aquaculture for the source. [more...]

Sustainability: Conclusion or Prelude? Building the Future
Posted 5/2/07
The final installment of a four-part series on "sustainability." [more...]

Sustainability Part 3: Of Africa and Island Nations
Posted 4/13/07
The third installment in IFCNR's series on Sustainability. [more...]

Sustainability Part 2: What is it?
Posted 4/10/07
The second in a series of IFCNR's look at Sustainability. [more...]

Sustainability: Who Defines the Terms?
Posted 4/3/07
Sustaniability has finally become a concept more and more commonplace among global traders. In this series IFCNR looks at the pros, the cons, the pitfalls. [more...]

IFCNR Visits Micronesia: What's Wrong with Fisheries Today?
Posted 2/23/07
IFCNR Director Dick Monroe offers his observations on the ills and remedies of exploitation of developing nations' marine resources. [more...]

NOAA Sea Turtle Observer Proposal Raises Basic Questions
Posted 1/9/07
NOAA's observer program is fine in theory. In practice it may need some semblance of consistency on basic issues. [more...]

COFI's 2007 Meetings Must Seek a Delicate Balance
Posted 10/11/06
Groups jockying for influence over aquaculture standards adopted by the FAO should be ignored by COFI if that agency hopes to keep its credibility in tact. [more...]

AQUACULTURE TO BE INUNDATED BY NGO PRESSURE
Posted 9/26/06
The NGO community is launching a global effort to corral the aquaculture industry into its eco-labeling effort. [more...]

IFCNR's Push for an FAO Eco-Label Coming to Fruition
Posted 6/6/06
IFCNR long recognized that eco-labels from industry or NGOs could not provide the security or confidence fisheries and fish species deserve. [more...]

Careless Science Costs Lives
Posted 2/22/05
Lord Dick Taverne presents a compelling case for careful evaluation of science, scientific endorsements, and scientist ethics in areas of advocacy. A must read. [more...]

NGO War on Fisheries is Underway
Posted 11/20/04
For years, NGOs have attacked various sectors of the seafood industry. Now they're poised for a coordinated effort employing the lessons learned from earlier skirmishes. [more...]

SPORT FISHERMEN IGNORED WRITING ON THE WALL FOR TOO LONG
Posted 8/30/04
Guest "Opinion Editorial" article on effects of recreational fishing on marine species populations by Walter "Dick" Monroe, CEO Monroe Group of Orlando, Florida. [more...]

Open Ocean Aquaculture Needs to "NGO-Proof" Itself Now
Posted 6/6/04
IFCNR's opinion on what's facing Open Ocean Aquaculture. [more...]

An Expert's Analysis of the U.S. Shrimp Dumping Suit
Posted 6/1/04
The U.S. shrimp industry is eagerly awaiting what it sees as a well-deserved slap at foreign shrimp exporting nations they claim are dumping cheap shrimp on the U.S. market. If they are successful, no one wins. [more...]

The Food Industry's Challenge: Brand Loyalty or Credibility
Posted 5/13/04
NGO assaults on the world food industry require rethinking industry strategies. [more...]

IFCNR Comments on NMFS Grand Banks Longline Proposal
Posted 3/16/04
IFCNR's comments in support of NMFS' proposal to reopen the pelagic longline swordfish fishery on the Grand Banks. [more...]

PEW PCB Study Reveals NGO Strategies for 2004 & Beyond
Posted 1/28/04
The recent study of contaminants in farmed salmon is a preview of the new level of intensity NGOs have in store for commercial interests involved in natural resource use. [more...]

2004: Year of Rice - A Year of Promise or Problems?
Posted 12/3/03
When the UN declared 1998 the International Year of the Oceans, NGOs campaigns against fisheries and aquaculture flourished. 2004 may prove a year of promise or problems too. [more...]

The Faeroe Fishery Management Revolution
Posted 11/17/03
Emissaries from the Faeroe Islands are sounding like fishery revolutionaries. But their message has resonance and real biology behind it. [more...]

Organic Marketing: Political Advertising in Lamb's Clothing
Posted 11/12/03
The organic food industry's surrogate marketing force, environmental NGOs, apply the same tactics to agriculture and aquaculture. [more...]

Wild and Farmed Seafood Supply Under Full Assault
Posted 11/3/03
As NGO pressure grows the entire seafood supply will become difficult to access. [more...]

Of Princes, Prophets, Preserving the Earth & Feeding the Hungry
Posted 10/23/03
Feed the Hungry. Every religion directs its followers to accomplish that task. [more...]

North Sea Cod and North Sea Cold: Are the Two Related?
Posted 10/20/03
What is happening to North Sea cod and what's the fate of Scotland's coastal "Highlanders?" [more...]

Flap over Scottish News Article Raises Key Salmon War Issues
Posted 10/10/03
Sometimes the smallest news item sheds a bright light on the larger issues affecting fisheries and aquaculture. [more...]

Renewed Call for Halt to Caspian Caviar Trade Aims at CITES
Posted 9/22/03
The claim that CITES "may" be using bad math to estimate Caspian Sea sturgeon numbers looks more like a knock against the principles of sustainable use than real science. [more...]

WTO Meetings Collapse over Power Tug-of-War
Posted 9/15/03
WTO could not solve the problem of equitably opening global markets for developing and developed nations alike. [more...]

PROTECTED AREAS COVER 11.5 PERCENT OF EARTH’S LAND; SEAS NEXT?
Posted 9/10/03
The worldwide environmental movement to lock up wild lands under protected status is impressive. But what does this mean for the oceans as well as the recreational and commercial fisheries? [more...]

EWG Assault on Farmed Salmon Opens below Canada's Border
Posted 8/4/03
The Environmental Working Group has opened the U.S. front against farmed salmon. [more...]

IFCNR to Attend 19th CITES Animals Committee Meetings
Posted 7/4/03
With NGOs preparing to shop an "enviro tax" on farmed shrimp, IFCNR's presence at venues such as CITES and FAO grow more important each day. [more...]

Tomorrow Pork! The Day After...Everything Else.
Posted 6/13/03
IFCNR News Analysis. Fisheries and seafood interests in the U.S. can look forward to an intense and coordinated campaign currently aimed at U.S. pork producers. [more...]

NGOs LAUNCH ANOTHER "ECO/HUMANE" CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
Posted 5/29/03
Yet another NGO "eco/humane care" certification group is in operation. [more...]

McDonalds: Eco/Animal-Friendly or Mired in NGO-Spun Web
Posted 5/21/03
The old adage about not judging a book by its cover applies to NGOs too. [more...]

NOAA’s 2002 Statistics Show U.S.-Managed Fish Stocks Improving
Posted 5/14/03
NOAA Fisheries Report to Congress demonstrates progress in fish stock management. [more...]

JUDGE RULES FEDERAL SALMON PLAN IS TOO VAGUE
Posted 5/8/03
The federal court ruling against the Snake and Columbia rivers' salmon recovery plan strikes a problematic chord. [more...]

DEATH BY A 1000 CUTS: The Salmon Colorant Episode
Posted 5/6/03
The recent lawsuit against grocery chains over "dye" in salmon is a microcosm of what natural resource reliant industries are facing. [more...]

SEA TURTLE FOR EASTER DINNER RAISES QUESTIONS RE. U.S. POLICY
Posted 4/17/03
An NGO's plea for Baja Californians to refrain from holiday sea turtle dinners raises questions about the failure of U.S. marine turtle policies. [more...]

JAPAN'S POINT IS WELL TAKEN: WHALES ARE PART OF THE OCEANS TOO!
Posted 3/26/03
Japan has finally positioned its years of meticulous cetacean research in a way that cannot be ignored and the oceans will benefit from it. [more...]

PT VI -The Leatherback Turtle/Swordfish Longline Controversy
Posted 3/18/03
In Part IV Searching for the Leatherback's True Story, the series looks at the vast array of threats the leatherback faces. [more...]

Pt. III - The Leatherback Turtle/Swordfish Longline Controversy
Posted 3/17/03
Part III of the series on the Leatherback Turtle/Swordfish Longline controversy addresses "Sea Turtles & Advocacy Campaigns." [more...]

Part II -The Leatherback Turtle/Swordfish Longline Controversy
Posted 3/14/03
Conflicting scholarship is the best description of what delving behind the headlines of the controversy over the effects of swordfish longlining on leatherback sea turtles. [more...]

The Leatherback Turtle/Swordfish Longline Controversy Pt. I
Posted 3/13/03
A new effort to shut down the swordfish longline fishery was launched by marine biologists. Part I of IFCNR's series on the issue shows sets the scene for another questionable but cleverly crafted made for the media controversy. [more...]

EPA’s Methymercury Report: Lawyers, Liability & Politics
Posted 2/27/03
The controversy over human health problems related to fresh seafood consumption needs facts not fears before it is resolved. [more...]

BEWARE SCIENTISTS SPEAKING IN CONDESCENDING AND UNIVERSAL TERMS
Posted 2/25/03
Look beyond the surface when a panel of scientists begins to sound like animal and environmental rights NGOs. [more...]

IFCRN's Mission to COFI: Step Two in Creating an FAO Ecolabel
Posted 2/20/03
IFCNR's initiative to institute an FAO eco-label for seafood will enter phase two at the COFI meetings in Rome, February 24-28. [more...]

Too Many Questions Raised by Hightower Mercury/Seafood Study
Posted 2/5/03
The lone study linking methyl mercury in seafood to health problems with humans set off the first round of Prop 65 suits in California. Did anyone really read it? [more...]

Proposition 65 Action Against Grocers: a Case of NGO Ingenuity
Posted 1/24/03
All resource users must pay close attention to the legal action pending against grocery chains selling seafood in California. [more...]

Red Lobster Proves Environmental Ethics Makes Profits
Posted 1/3/03
Environmentally and socially ethical global trade is profitable. Darden Restaurants' Red Lobster restaurant chain is proof positive. [more...]

EU Policy Debate: Regional Management & NGO Inconsistency
Posted 12/18/02
Two important points are emerging from the week's debate over the European Union's common fisheries policy: the need for regional management and the inconsistency of NGOs. [more...]

Cod/Groundfish Controversies Have Many Poins of View
Posted 12/13/02
Next week the EU fisheries ministers will debate the future of European groundfish fisheries. [more...]

CITES Set to Target Major Commercial Industries
Posted 12/2/02
Listing Big Leaf Mahogany was all it took to get CITES officials, delegates and NGOs preparing to tackle major commercial industries. [more...]

Which Direction for NFI?
Posted 12/2/02
The trade association for the U.S. seafood industry is looking for a new CEO. The tasks ahead are daunting. [more...]

Reports from CITES - CoP12 Conclusion
Posted 11/19/02
Commercial sustainable use interests don't appreciate the tremendous loss they suffered at CoP12. [more...]

Reports from CITES - No. 8
Posted 11/15/02
Today is the last day of the Plenary sessions for CoP12. It is the beginning of CITES' movement into commercial fisheries interests. [more...]

Reports from CITES - No. 7
Posted 11/14/02
The toothfish proposals were rejected but commerical seafood interests are not out of the water yet. [more...]

Reports from CITES - No. 6
Posted 11/13/02
Three of five African nations seeking approval of ivory stockpile sales get tentative Okay from Committee. Find out the story behind the story. [more...]

Reports from CITES - No. 5
Posted 11/12/02
As the days get closer to the final Plenary of all delegations to CoP12 debate becomes more reflective of the final drama in store. [more...]

Reports from CITES - No. 4
Posted 11/11/02
Friday's deliberations were some of the most insightful into key issues discussed at CITES CoP12. [more...]

Reports from CITES - No. 3
Posted 11/8/02
An important committee vote suggests troubled waters for marine species proposals later at the CoP12 Plenary. [more...]

Reports from CITES - No. 2
Posted 11/7/02
Days 3 and 4 at CITES' CoP12 are busy and dull with administrative wrangling that keeps pace with a spirited ping pong game. [more...]

Reports from CITES - No. 1
Posted 11/5/02
Brief summaries of the actions and decisions taken during the 12th conference of the parties to CITES in Santiago, Chile 3-15 November. [more...]

The Effects of CITES Secretariat's View on CoP12 Proposals
Posted 10/28/02
Key species proposals to be discussed at CoP12 will have profound effects on sustainable use endeavors. [more...]

USA TODAY & Salmon: the Media Manipulated
Posted 10/10/02
When special interests, not fact controls the content of the press, consumers and the enviroment suffer. [more...]

NEW SCIENTIST Calls for Global Cooperation, Not Name-calling
Posted 10/7/02
It's time for NGOs to drop their confrontational tactics. [more...]

BC Minister Defends Lifting Salmon Farm Moratorium
Posted 9/30/02
Minister John van Dongen issues compelling rationale for opening British Columbian waters to new salmon farms. [more...]

The Real Winners & Potential Losers of the World Summit
Posted 9/5/02
IFCNR takes a close look at what the developments at the World Summit for Sustainable Development mean for sustainable use interests. [more...]

The World Summit Fishing Pact's Troubling Side
Posted 8/30/02
Global agreements to replenish depleted fishing stocks are good objectives. Is there a hidden agenda behind the WSSD fishing pact? [more...]

Noted Scientist Says No to CITES Listing Commerical Species
Posted 8/26/02
Dr. Grahame Webb issued a report explaining the scientific and practical reasons against listing commercial fish species with CITES [more...]

Fair Trade Coffee Exposes Fishery, Biotech, Farm Eco-label Ties
Posted 8/7/02
Media hype over "Fair Trade" labeled coffee showed the NGO campaigns to label seafood, forests, farms and food in general are all linked. [more...]

Does Proposed Listing on ESA Put Sturgeon on Path To Extinction?
Posted 8/2/02
The U.S. government wants to put beluga sturgeon on its Endangered Species Act list. Is that wise or folly? [more...]

A Hard Look at the Toothfish Controversy
Posted 7/29/02
NGOs want CITES to control conservation of Patagonian and Antarctic toothfish. Is CITES, CCAMLR or FAO the best way to go? [more...]

Methyl Mercury: FDA Hold Firm Vs NGOs on Tuna
Posted 7/29/02
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration held a three-day meeting to consider NGO complaints that tuna should be placed on the "Do Not Eat" List for pregnant women. FDA disagreed. [more...]

Could Snakehead Ban Affect Farmed Salmon Industry?
Posted 7/24/02
The Lacey Act can not only ban importation and transportation of exotics like the snakehead fish, salmonids are banned too. [more...]

Alien Species Spawn Fear-Filled U.S. Headlines
Posted 7/14/02
Thanks to the discovery of Chinese northern snakehead fish in suburban Maryland, the press is begining to recognize the problems posed by alien species. [more...]

EPA Caught in Hypocritical Role over Contaminated Fish
Posted 6/26/02
EPA is being revealed as a very inconsistant agency. They've managed to make enviromentalists, the media, farmers, fishermen and consumers irate. [more...]

Chloramphenicol: the Controversy Grows Murkier
Posted 6/17/02
The push to ban importation of shrimp with residue traces of .3 parts per billion of the controversial antibiotic, chloramphenicol, raises key questions and doubts. [more...]

FAO Official Re-Issues Chloramphenicol Warning
Posted 6/14/02
FAO re-issued its warning against the use of the controversial antibiotic, Chloramphenicol, in food production. [more...]

MSC Certification: Does the Promise Equal Reality?
Posted 6/10/02
The Marine Stewardship Council has been certifying fisheries as eco-friendly for nearly a decade but has no data on any benefit flowing to the seafood industry. [more...]

The Stockholm Declaration's Poverty & Pollution Free World
Posted 6/10/02
In a paper prepared for delivery on the Stockholm Declaration and how to achieve a poverty and pollution free world, IFCNR outlines a practical approach to achieving these objectives. [more...]

Proposed EU Common Fishery Policy Draws Danish Ire
Posted 6/4/02
Denmark says nothing will come of the EU Common Fishery Policy reforms until the illegal fleets of Britain, Holland, Ireland and Germany are reduced. [more...]

European Union Plans Deep Fleet Cuts
Posted 5/29/02
The European Union wants to cut its fishing fleet by 8600 vessels to reduce fishing pressure on severely hit fish stocks. Fishing nations are upset. [more...]

Earth Island Institute & Tuna: The Case For FAO Eco-labels
Posted 5/21/02
Earth Island Institute is said to rule the world's tuna industry with an iron hand. That is not the role of an NGO. [more...]

Union Negotiations Threaten to Shut US West Coast Ports
Posted 5/20/02
If the longshoremen's union and the Pacific coast shipping lines do not reach a contract agreement for a new contract by July 1, the U.S. could see ports along its Pacific Coast shut down indefinitely. [more...]

Research Discovers More Fish Oil/Omega-3 Benefits
Posted 5/16/02
Science is discovering why fish oil and Omega-3 fatty acids can help combat autism and depression. [more...]

Fishing Subsidies Are Controversial WTO Topic
Posted 5/8/02
The call for WTO to reduce fishing subsidies among its 144 nations is drawing heated opposition. [more...]

WWF/TRAFFIC Renew Push for CITES Oversight of Fisheries
Posted 5/6/02
Patagonian and Antarctic toothfish are the subjects of TRAFFIC's latest report. The underlying theme stirs up the controversy between FAO and CITES over regulatory authority of commercially desirable seafood species. [more...]

Strategic Issues in Sustainability: FAO's view Pt. 1
Posted 5/1/02
Among the strategic issues contained within the concept of sustainability is that of interactions between fisheries and other sectors. The following essay was prepared by Serge Garcia of the FAO. It is the first of a series that will be published here. [more...]

Salmon's Worldwide Roller Coaster Ride
Posted 4/25/02
The U.S. offers a tempting market for salmon producers everywhere but in the U.S. [more...]

Aquaculture Called Boon to Solving World Hunger
Posted 4/22/02
IFCNR's contention that aquaculture is a crucial tool in fighting poverty, hunger and social injustice is gaining recognition among such world authorities as FAO. [more...]

Genetically Modified Fish: Their Promise and Protest
Posted 3/14/02
With news that U.S. approval for commercial sale for GM Atlantic salmon may come as soon as 2004, protesters are again fanning the flames of controversy to have biotech hybrid fish banned from U.S. waters. [more...]

California's Recreatonal Fishers Feel Sting of Sanctuary Closing
Posted 3/13/02
California's recreational fishermen are protesting a plan to close 40 percent of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. [more...]

A Message from IFCNR's President the Coming Year
Posted 1/3/02
A Message of Hope for the Earth and the Hungry for this coming year by IFCNR President Stephen S. Boynton. [more...]

The Wrong Side of Capitalism? US Congress v. Vietnam's Catfish
Posted 12/29/01
Politics, not science pushed the U.S. Congress to deem only native species as "catfish." Cats raised elsewhere must use someother name before reaching U.S. consumer tables. [more...]

Scientists Speculate on Pacific Tuna Extinction
Posted 12/7/01
Theories are plentiful when musing about species extinction. This one raises remote worries over Pacific tuna. [more...]

Farmed Atlantic Salmon Faces Uncertain New Year
Posted 11/20/01
The New Year promises to be anything but tranquil for Atlantic salmon aquaculture interests. [more...]

Salmon, Soy or Corn: NGOs Play "Consumer Trust" Card
Posted 10/26/01
NGOs say consumer trust plays the key role in acceptance of GM fish, corn, cotton or soy. So who is asking the consumers? [more...]

Ecosystem Based Management Urged at Reykjavik Conference
Posted 10/16/01
Delegates to the Reykjavik Conference on Responsible Fisheries heard a call for switching from single species management schemes to an eco-system approach. [more...]

North Sea Conference Puts Spotlight on Predation
Posted 9/26/01
Conservation of fish species is not possible unless all stressing factors are considered. [more...]

Humanity Under Attack
Posted 9/17/01
An eloquent reflection by a Canadian NGO. [more...]

Anti-trade NGO's Torn Over Terror's Barbarism
Posted 9/17/01
The cowardly acts of murder in New York, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania are worrying radical NGOs ...for the wrong reasons. [more...]

Commercial Fish Species Targeted for CITES Listing
Posted 9/14/01
Animal rights NGOs are planning new proposals to list commerical fishery species under CITES Appendices. [more...]

Yeast Researcher Demonstrates the "Precautionary Principle" Flaw
Posted 9/11/01
Geneticist Leland Hartwell is being honored for his life's work in cancer. He serves as a role model for taking the Precautionary Principle a little less seriously. [more...]

ISA, Algae, Jellyfish Take Toll on Eastern Atlantic Salmon Farms
Posted 9/6/01
Salmon farmers in Norway, Scotland, the Shetlands and Orkney Islands are being hard hit by nature. Hundreds of thousands of fish are dying. [more...]

Maine Salmon Farm Seeks Dumping Sanctions Against Chile
Posted 9/6/01
Cheap production costs are causing Chilean salmon to become the pariah of the salmon aquaculture industry. [more...]