NOAA weighs easing import rules restricting 240 foreign fisheries

The seafood import restrictions that took effect Jan. 1 against roughly 240 foreign fisheries in 46 nations could be rewritten. NOAA Fisheries filed an advance notice of proposed rulemaking Tuesday asking the public how to streamline the program.

Those restrictions bar fish and fish products from foreign fisheries that failed to show marine mammal bycatch controls comparable in effectiveness to U.S. rules. Alaska harvesters and processors compete against those imports. The United States buys more than 90% of its seafood.

The agency said the framework is "an important tool to encourage harvesting nations to implement more effective measures to reduce marine mammal bycatch." It also said administering the program at the current scale is resource-intensive and operationally complex.

Implementation timeline

NOAA Fisheries published the final rule implementing the import provisions on Aug. 15, 2016. It then extended the exemption period twice, in October 2020 and again in November 2023, delaying enforcement until after Dec. 31, 2025. Conservation groups including Oceana have backed strong enforcement as a way to push foreign fleets toward gear changes and closures. The Shrimp Alliance, which represents U.S. wild-caught shrimp producers, argues the delays let noncompliant imports undercut domestic producers for nearly a decade. Fisheries and Oceans Canada has described the rules as conditions exporting nations must meet or exceed to keep U.S. market access.

At a June 4, 2025, House oversight hearing on American seafood competitiveness, Rep. Nick Begich said Alaska's industry faces "countries that subsidize fleets and bypass environmental standards."

How to weigh in

Comments run 60 days from publication in the Federal Register, scheduled for July 29. The notice includes both targeted and open-ended questions meant to guide feedback on how the import provisions are being implemented. Comments may be submitted through Regulations.gov under docket NOAA-NMFS-2026-0826. Questions about the notice go to [email protected].

The advance notice changes none of the existing import restrictions. Amending them would generally require further rulemaking, including a proposed rule, a public comment period and a final rule.