NOAA Releases 2021 Report on the Implementation of the U.S. Seafood Import Monitoring Program
May 24, 2021

NOAA Fisheries recently released its report on the implementation of the U.S. Seafood Import Monitoring Program, or SIMP.
As part of their efforts to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing practices, NOAA and the U.S. government have employed the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP). The goal of the program is to both deter IUU seafood from entering U.S. commerce while also increasing support for existing traceability programs. It is implemented through permitting, reporting and record-keeping requirements for importers of seafood products. This is of particular importance due to the fact that more than 85% of seafood is imported into the United States, meaning that the implementation of SIMP should provide American consumers with a more eased state of mind that the seafood they are purchasing is harvested legally and labeled accurately.
SIMP was established in December 2016 and its requirements have been attempting to regulate imported seafood coming into the U.S. ever since. On January 1, 2018, SIMP came into effect for 11 out of 13 priority species, including everything from Atlantic cod to king crab. After an adjustment period for implementation, shrimp have also been included on the priority species list since December 31, 2018, comprising more than 1,1000 unique species total.
Other highlights of the report include:
- Program data and efforts for the first two years of the program’s operation (2019 and 2020).
- An analysis of its implementation to date.
- A status of audits and enforcement activities.
- NOAA’s future plans to further implement the program.
- Areas of significant success in its mission to identify and deter IUU fish and fish products from entering the U.S. market.
The entire report can be found below or linked HERE.
Suggested Articles
Wild American Shrimp® Announces Chef of the Year Winners 2022
November 3, 2022, BILOXI, Mississippi – Wild American Shrimp®, the American Shrimp Processors Association (ASPA)’s marketing program for wild-caught Gulf and South Atlantic Shrimp, has announced...
Read More November 2022ASPA Member Feature: Dominick’s Seafood, Inc.
Dominick’s Seafood, founded in 1992 by Dominick Ficarino, is just the latest venture in four generations of shrimp and seafood processing in the Ficarino family....
Read More October 2022Buy Local. Buy Wild American Shrimp.
From the United States’ highest mountains to the beaches on all of our coasts, buying local means buying American. The COVID-19 pandemic left Americans wondering...
Read More October 2022