NOAA Unveils Plan to Strengthen Seafood Import Monitoring
Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing harms both consumers and fishermen by undermining the seafood industry’s integrity. For fishermen, IUU fishing causes economic losses by flooding markets with illegal seafood, depletes fish stocks through overfishing, and creates unfair competition as illicit operators bypass regulations and compliance costs. Tackling IUU fishing is vital to ensure safe, sustainable seafood and protect fishermen’s livelihoods. For consumers, IUU fishing increases the risk of unsafe or mislabeled products, exposing them to potential health risks.
NOAA has just unveiled an action plan to enhance the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP), working to strengthen the integrity of U.S. seafood imports and fight IUU fishing. This plan follows a comprehensive review initiated in November 2023, during which NOAA worked with over 7,000 stakeholders, including industry professionals, foreign governments, researchers, and non-governmental organizations. The feedback gathered has been instrumental in developing a plan designed to strengthen SIMP’s impact and effectiveness. The plan outlines four primary goals.
- Enhance NOAA Fisheries’ Ability to Combat IUU Fishing