US Customs Seize $2.7 Million Worth of Swim Bladders
Eugene L. 07.13.23
Earlier this year U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized 242 pounds of Totoaba swim bladders at the Area Port of Nogales. These swim bladders are subject to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and the Endangered Species Act (ESA) due to the protected status of Totoaba fish. The 242 pounds of Totoaba swim bladders have an estimated value of $2,700,000.
Back on April 13, 2023, CBP officers at the Mariposa trade facility discovered 270 endangered Totoaba swim bladders hidden in a commercial shipment of frozen fish fillets. The CBP officers in turn contacted U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) who took possession of the bladders. USFWS did DNA testing which the preliminary results indicated that the bladders belonged to the endangered Totoaba macdonaldi. These fish are endemic to the Gulf of California in Mexico and they are highly endangered. This is thought to be the second-largest seizure of its kind in the U.S. and is the largest seizure of its kind in Arizona to date.
The endangered Totoaba fish is listed as an endangered species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act since 1979. The Totoaba fish along with many similar drum species worldwide are highly sought after for their large swim bladders. These swim bladders are highly prized in traditional Chinese Medicine and are extensively used as a premium ingredient in Asian cooking. Because of the federally protected status of Totoaba in both the U.S. and Mexico, it is illegal to take, possess, transport, or sell Totoaba. Additionally, they are targeted with gill nets which indiscriminately kill other species in the sea, and has resulted in the co-demise of the endangered Vaquita porpoise, Phocoena sinus in the Gulf of California.
“Our officers and agriculture specialists enforce a wide variety of laws on behalf of numerous agencies”, said Tucson Field Office Director of Field Operations Guadalupe Ramirez. This find by our CBP Officers, potentially the second largest seizure of Totoaba swim bladders nationwide, is an exceptional example of the job they do enforcing laws regarding all commodities entering the United States. It’s also an excellent example of our working relationship with our US Fish and Wildlife partners, enforcing the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species treaty agreement.
