Congressman Blake Farenthold (R-Texas) released the following statement after the Presidential Task Force on Combating Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing and Seafood Fraud issued its final rule today to begin implementation of the Seafood Import Monitoring Program to combat illegal fishing and seafood fraud. The final rule will prevent entry of products resulting from illegal activities from foreign fishermen from entering the U.S. seafood market.
“Illegal fishing and seafood fraud hurts American fisherman and consumers,” said Congressman Farenthold. “That is why I introduced the Protecting Honest Fisherman Act to ensure the consumer can trace all seafood sold in the United States from bait to table. The Seafood Import Monitoring Program is a good first step towards that goal and leveling the playing field for American fishermen.”
The Seafood Import Monitoring Program final rule will:
- Establish permitting, reporting and record-keeping procedures relating to the importation of thirteen “at-risk” species from point of harvest to first point of entry into U.S. commerce.
- Indefinitely pause reporting for shrimp and abalone until the Food and Drug Administration develops equivalent reporting requirements for aquaculture products through the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2010.
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