NRDC - Natural Resources Defense Council

01/16/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/16/2025 16:53

U.S. Government Agrees to Halt Seafood Imports Tied to Deadly Bycatch of Whales, Dolphins, Other Marine Mammals

WASHINGTON D.C. - Conservation groups reached an agreementtoday that will require the United States to stop importing seafood that does not meet U.S. standards for protecting marine mammals. The seafood ban will go into effect on January 1, 2026, and will protect numerous threatened species of whales, dolphins, seals, and other marine mammals from entanglement in fishing gear used in foreign waters. It will also level the playing field for U.S. fishers who must meet stringent requirements in domestic waters.

"Today's agreement will ensure some relief for threatened marine mammals suffering from bycatch, level the playing field for fishermen working hard to protect marine mammals, and give consumers more confidence that the seafood they consume does not needlessly kill the whales and dolphins they love," said Zak Smith, a senior attorney at NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council).

The settlement, reached in the U.S. Court of International Trade, stems from alawsuitfiled by NRDC, the Center for Biological Diversity, and the Animal Welfare Institute, with Anderson & Kreiger LLP, a Boston-based environmental and public law firm, against the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Department of the Treasury, and U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Each year more than 650,000 whales, dolphins, and other marine mammals are caught and killed in fishing gear around the globe. These animals are unintentional "bycatch" of commercial fisheries and either drown or are tossed overboard to die from their injuries. Bycatch is the greatest conservation threat to marine mammal populations worldwide.

"I'm relieved other nations will finally be pressured to prevent whales and dolphins from getting caught in fishing nets. Entanglement is a huge threat to these animals' survival," said Sarah Uhlemann, international program director at the Center for Biological Diversity. "The United States has the power to use its enormous seafood market to help the world's oceans, and it's about time we started."

The United States is the world's largest seafood importer, bringing in more than $25.5 billion a year worth of seafood products. The imports come from more than 130 nations and include shrimp, tuna and other finfish. Around 80 percent of seafood consumed in the United States is imported, most commonly from China, Norway, Ecuador, Chile, and India.

Since 1972, the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act has prohibited the United States from allowing seafood to enter the country unless exporting nations meet the same standards applied to U.S. fishers aimed at eliminating marine mammal bycatch. The U.S. government largely ignored the provision until 2016, when it established a process for deciding which fisheries to ban. However, the government has delayed banning any noncompliant seafood.

"This settlement marks a significant step forward for marine mammal welfare," said Georgia Hancock, program director and senior attorney for the Animal Welfare Institute's Marine Wildlife Program. "Bycatch not only affects marine mammal populations but also raises serious animal welfare concerns. While most animals entangled in fishing gear die by drowning, those who escape often suffer prolonged injuries, such as cuts, broken bones, or amputations, and die weeks or months after their entanglement."

Attorneys from Anderson & Kreiger LLP represented the conservation groups.

NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd).

The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 1.7 million members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.

The Animal Welfare Institute (awionline.org) is a nonprofit charitable organization founded in 1951 and dedicated to alleviating animal suffering caused by people. We seek to improve the welfare of animals everywhere: in agriculture, in commerce, in our homes and communities, in research, and in the wild. Follow us on Facebook, X(formerly Twitter), and Instagramfor updates and other important animal protection news.