IUU Task Force Finalizes U.S. Seafood Traceability Program

After two years in development, The Presidential Task Force for Combatting Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing and Seafood Fraud has finalized the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP) – a national seafood traceability program that will apply to select seafood products entering U.S. commerce beginning January 1, 2018.

Though data collection is currently limited to 15 priority species, the program may be expanded to all species in the future. Traceability information about product sources and chain of custody will be submitted electronically by the importer of record. Though this program does not track product chain of custody after entry into U.S. commerce (not full-chain traceability), it is an important step towards more traceable seafood supply chains.

Many Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions organizations have contributed to the development and design of the new program via multiple rounds of public comments and consultation. FishWise has created a brief on the SIMP available here, and will continue to track the development of this program.