The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has completed its year-long study to develop an action plan to combat illegal fishing and enhance seafood traceability. More than 7000 stakeholders were engaged to review the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP) and offer input into enhancing its effectiveness. Key actions will include:
Further Enhancing NOAA Fisheries’ Ability to Combat IUU Fishing Through Improved Traceability and Risk Detection, Strengthening the Sustainability of Seafood Globally
- Expansion of SIMP traceability requirements to all US seafood imports by creating a two-tier system that prioritizes species based on their risk level
- Enable pre-entry screening of SIMP imports
- Develop pilot program for a voluntary government-to-government import data program
Contributing to Government-Wide Efforts to Address Forced Labor in the Global Seafood Supply Chain
- Strengthen partnerships with US Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Labor
- Collect additional data to address forced labor risks in seafood supply chains
Strengthening the Integrity and Fairness of Global Seafood Supply Chains by Promoting Fair Seafood Trade Practices Around the World
- Update permitting and reporting procedures
- Modify current data requirements
- Develop additional SIMP compliance materials
- Modernize the National Permit System
Improving Implementation and Building Capacity to Maintain and Grow the Program
NOAA is strengthening its internal operations by stabilizing and expanding the program team and enhancing data systems to better process and analyze seafood import information. These improvements will increase the program’s ability to identify risks and conduct more thorough reviews.
You can view the full action plan here.
If you feel you may have data gaps or aren’t yet able to fully trace imported seafood origins, we can help. Let’s chat…
