Gene-associated markers provide tools for tackling illegal fishing and false eco-certification

Type Article
Date 2012-05
Language English
Author(s) Nielsen Einar E.1, Cariani Alessia2, 3, Mac Aoidh Eoin4, Maes Gregory E.3, Milano Ilaria2, 5, Ogden Rob6, Taylor Martin7, Hemmer-Hansen Jakob1, Babbucci Massimiliano5, Bargelloni Luca5, Bekkevold Dorte1, Diopere Eveline3, Grenfell Leonie6, Helyar Sarah8, Limborg Morten T.1, Martinsohn Jann T.4, McEwing Ross6, Panitz Frank9, Patarnello Tomaso5, Tinti Fausto2, Van Houdt Jeroen K. J.3, Volckaert Filip A. M.3, Waples Robin S.10, Carvalho Gary7, Albin Jan Ej7, Vieites Baptista Juan M16, Barmintsev Vladimir18, Bautista Jose M.11, Bendixen Christian17, Berge Jean-PascalORCID14, Blohm Dietmar13, Cardazzo Barbara5, Diez Amalia11, Espineira Montserrat16, Geffen Audrey J.12, Gonzalez Elena11, Gonzalez-Lavin Nerea16, Guaniero Ilaria2, Jerome Marc14, Kochzius Marc13, Krey Grigorius15, Mouchel OlivierORCID13, Negrisolo Enrico5, Piccinetti Corrado2, Puyet Antonio11, Rastorguev Sergey18, Smith Jane P7, Trentini Massimo2, Verrez-Bagnis VeroniqueORCID13, Volkov Alexander18, Zanzi Antonella4
Affiliation(s) 1 : Tech Univ Denmark, Natl Inst Aquat Resources, Sect Populat Ecol & Genet, DK-8600 Silkeborg, Denmark.
2 : Univ Bologna, Dept Expt Evolutionary Biol, I-40126 Bologna, Italy.
3 : Katholieke Univ Leuven, Lab Biodivers & Evolutionary Genom, B-3000 Louvain, Belgium.
4 : EC, JRC, IPSC, I-21027 Ispra, Va, Italy.
5 : Univ Padua, Dept Publ Hlth Comparat Pathol & Vet Hyg, I-35020 Legnaro, Italy.
6 : TRACE Wildlife Forens Network, Royal Zool Soc Scotland,, Edinburgh EH12 6TS, Midlothian, Scotland.
7 : Bangor Univ, Environm Ctr Wales, Sch Biol Sci, Mol Ecol & Fisheries Genet Lab, Bangor LL57 2UW, Gwynedd, Wales.
8 : Matis, Iceland Food & Biotech R&D, IS-113 Reykjavik, Iceland.
9 : Aarhus Univ, Fac Sci & Technol, Dept Mol Biol & Genet, DK-8830 Tjele, Denmark.
10 : NOAA, Natl Marine Fisheries Serv, NW Fisheries Sci Ctr, Seattle, WA 98112 USA.
11 : Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Ciudad Universitaria, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
12 : University of Bergen (UiB), Postboks 7800, NO-5020 Bergen, Norway.
13 : University of Bremen (UNI.HB), Bibliothekstraße 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
14 : IFREMER, Centre de Nantes,Département Sciences & Techniques Alimentaires Marines Rue de l’Ile d’Yeu, BP 1105, Nantes CEDEX 03, France.
15 : National Agricultural Research Foundation (NAGREF), Fisheries Research Institute, Nea Peramos, Kavala, GR 64007, Greece
16 : Spanish National Foundation of Fish and Seafood Processors, Area of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, ANFACO-CECOPESCA, 36310 Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain.
17 : University of Aarhus (AU), Nordre Ringgade 1, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
18 : The Centre of Molecular Genetic Identification, Russian Federal Research Institute for Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO), 17, V. Krasnoselskaya, 107140 Moscow, Russia.
Source Nature Communications (2041-1723) (Nature Publishing Group), 2012-05 , Vol. 3 , P. -
DOI 10.1038/ncomms1845
WOS© Times Cited 138
Abstract Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing has had a major role in the overexploitation of global fish populations. In response, international regulations have been imposed and many fisheries have been 'eco-certified' by consumer organizations, but methods for independent control of catch certificates and eco-labels are urgently needed. Here we show that, by using gene-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms, individual marine fish can be assigned back to population of origin with unprecedented high levels of precision. By applying high differentiation single nucleotide polymorphism assays, in four commercial marine fish, on a pan-European scale, we find 93-100% of individuals could be correctly assigned to origin in policy-driven case studies. We show how case-targeted single nucleotide polymorphism assays can be created and forensically validated, using a centrally maintained and publicly available database. Our results demonstrate how application of gene-associated markers will likely revolutionize origin assignment and become highly valuable tools for fighting illegal fishing and mislabelling worldwide.
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Nielsen Einar E., Cariani Alessia, Mac Aoidh Eoin, Maes Gregory E., Milano Ilaria, Ogden Rob, Taylor Martin, Hemmer-Hansen Jakob, Babbucci Massimiliano, Bargelloni Luca, Bekkevold Dorte, Diopere Eveline, Grenfell Leonie, Helyar Sarah, Limborg Morten T., Martinsohn Jann T., McEwing Ross, Panitz Frank, Patarnello Tomaso, Tinti Fausto, Van Houdt Jeroen K. J., Volckaert Filip A. M., Waples Robin S., Carvalho Gary, Albin Jan Ej, Vieites Baptista Juan M, Barmintsev Vladimir, Bautista Jose M., Bendixen Christian, Berge Jean-Pascal, Blohm Dietmar, Cardazzo Barbara, Diez Amalia, Espineira Montserrat, Geffen Audrey J., Gonzalez Elena, Gonzalez-Lavin Nerea, Guaniero Ilaria, Jerome Marc, Kochzius Marc, Krey Grigorius, Mouchel Olivier, Negrisolo Enrico, Piccinetti Corrado, Puyet Antonio, Rastorguev Sergey, Smith Jane P, Trentini Massimo, Verrez-Bagnis Veronique, Volkov Alexander, Zanzi Antonella (2012). Gene-associated markers provide tools for tackling illegal fishing and false eco-certification. Nature Communications, 3, -. Publisher's official version : https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms1845 , Open Access version : https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00090/20085/