A rule intended to monitor imports of seafood has reached the White House for review, clearing the way for finalization of the rule. Drafted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the rule seeks to put new traceability requirements on imported seafood.
Politico says the regulation is a key component of the Obama administration’s 2015 action plan to combat illegal fishing. The measure would establish reporting procedures for certain fish species that an interagency group of experts determined were most likely to be mislabeled or caught illegally, including shrimp, red snapper, tuna and grouper. NOAA officials say the requirements would impact more than 2,500 entities that import those species into the U.S. from countries including China, Thailand and Vietnam. Data on harvest, landing and chain of custody of fish would be entered into a system already maintained by the federal government.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting news service.