Today, NOAA Fisheries withdrew its December 2022 proposed rulemaking to amend the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP). Per the withdrawal notice, NOAA Fisheries will instead conduct a comprehensive program review of SIMP to strengthen its impact and effectiveness.
Sally Yozell, Director of the Environmental Security Program at the Stimson Center, released the following statement in response:
“This is a pivotal time for the Seafood Import Monitoring Program. The International Trade Commission estimated that $2.4 billion worth of illegally caught seafood products entered the U.S. market in 2019 alone. NOAA Fisheries has a responsibility to provide greater confidence to U.S. consumers that the seafood they consume is safe, legal, and sustainable.
Moving forward, the Stimson Center applauds NOAA Fisheries’ inclusive, public-led approach to this program review. Our team looks forward to working closely with NOAA Fisheries to achieve a more holistic vision for SIMP that can prevent and deter illegally caught fish from entering U.S. markets. Creating an effective and integrated seafood traceability system can positively impact environmental, economic, and human security around the world. With more countries working towards traceability programs such as the EU, Japan, South Korea, and Australia, it is important to design a global system that not only meets the needs of consumers and is fair to the U.S. seafood industry, but also prevents illegal and mislabeled seafood from entering our U.S. markets.”
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