NOAA Withdraws Proposed Rule on Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing
Press Release Date: January 21, 2025
Location: WASHINGTON
Contact:
Cory Gunkel, Megan Jordan | email: cgunkel@oceana.org, mjordan@oceana.org | tel: Cory Gunkel, 202.868.4061
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced last week that it withdrew a proposed rule that would have strengthened the ability of the United States to take action against nations that fail to address illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing or forced labor on their fishing vessels. The rule was initially proposed in 2016, yet NOAA has claimed it still did not have sufficient time to finalize the rule.
Oceana Campaign Director Dr. Max Valentine released the following statement in response to NOAA’s announcement:
“After dragging its feet for years, NOAA failed to finalize a new rule that would have strengthened the United States’ ability to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and recognized the link between IUU fishing and forced labor. Taking action on IUU fishing helps to level the playing field for U.S. fishers and seafood businesses. The International Trade Commission estimated that in 2019 alone, the U.S. imported more than $2.4 billion worth of IUU seafood. This rule would have ensured that the United States could take strong action against other countries engaged in IUU fishing and that ignore human rights abuses in their fleets. Oceana encourages President Trump and his administration to put this rule back on the table to help ensure that all seafood sold in the U.S. is safe, legally caught, and honestly labeled.”
Background
Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is a low-risk, high-reward activity, especially on the high seas where a fragmented legal framework and lack of effective enforcement allow it to thrive. IUU fishing can include fishing without authorization, ignoring catch limits, operating in closed or protected areas, targeting protected wildlife, and fishing with prohibited gear. These illicit activities can destroy important ocean habitat, severely deplete fish populations, and threaten global food security. These actions not only contribute to overfishing, but also give illegal fishers an unfair advantage over those who play by the rules.
The U.S. government formally established the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP) in 2016, requiring catch documentation and traceability for some seafood at risk of illegal fishing and seafood fraud. Currently, this applies to just 13 types of imported seafood and only traces them from the boat to the U.S. border. A 2022 Oceana report showed that gaps in SIMP are allowing U.S. seafood demand to drive IUU fishing around the world.
Oceana released the results of a nationwide poll in 2024, which found that American voters overwhelmingly support transparency and traceability in the seafood supply chain. Included among the key findings, 90% of voters agree that imported seafood should be held to the same standards as U.S. caught seafood. Additionally, 91% of voters agree that seafood caught using human trafficking and slave labor should NOT be bought or sold in the U.S. Eighty-five percent of voters agree that all seafood should be traceable from the fishing boat to the dinner plate, and 88% say consumers should be reassured that the seafood they purchase was legally caught. Oceana’s poll, conducted by the nonpartisan polling company Ipsos using the probability-based KnowledgePanel®, surveyed 1,053 registered U.S. voters from June 28 to 30, 2024.
