$2.7 Million Worth of Swim Bladders Seized by US Customs
Eugene L. 06.28.23
Earlier this year in April U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized 242 pounds of endangered Totoaba swim bladders at the Area Port of Nogales. These Totoaba swim bladders fall under the purview of both 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 seized 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 swim bladders hidden amongst a commercial shipment of frozen fish fillets. The CBP officers then contacted U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) who took possession of the bladders. After preliminary DNA testing by USFWS 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 along with many similar drum species worldwide are highly sought after for their swim bladders. These swim bladders are prized in traditional Chinese Medicine and are extensively used as a premium ingredient in Asian cooking. Because of their federally protected status 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.
