Seafood Bans Imposed on 42 Nations Over Marine Mammal Bycatch Concerns

Strategic Insights -

The US National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has determined that 42 nations may not export certain seafood products to the US due to concerns over marine mammal bycatch. The nations in question failed to adopt bycatch prevention measures comparable to those required under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). The seafood bans will take effect in January 2026, marking a major victory for conservation efforts aimed at reducing the number of whales and dolphins caught and killed in fishing gear. The US is the world's largest seafood importer, bringing in over $26.6 billion in seafood products in 2024 from more than 140 nations.

Key Takeaways:

  • The NMFS imposed seafood bans on 42 nations due to concerns over marine mammal bycatch, citing the failure of these countries to adopt bycatch prevention measures comparable to those required under the MMPA.
  • The nations facing seafood bans include Mexico, China, Ecuador, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Turkey, with Mexico being a particularly concerning case due to its failure to track or limit marine mammal bycatch, even for imperiled animals.
  • Other nations, such as Benin, were denied because they failed to apply to continue exporting seafood to the US.
  • A 2023 report by conservation groups found that many other nations fail to meet US bycatch standards and should face bans, including the UK, Ecuador, and South Africa.
  • The MMPA has prohibited the US from allowing foreign seafood to enter the country unless exporting nations meet the same standards applied to US fishers for limiting marine mammal bycatch since 1972.
  • Bycatch is the greatest conservation threat to marine mammal populations worldwide, with over 650,000 whales, dolphins, and other marine mammals caught and killed each year in fishing gear globally.
  • The US is the world's largest seafood importer, with an estimated 80% of seafood consumed in the US being imported, including shrimp, tuna, and other fish.
  • The deadliest types of fishing gear include gillnets, longlines, trawls, pots, and traps, according to NMFS, with many nations continuing to use these gear without tracking the number of marine mammals killed.

Statistics:

  • 42 nations face seafood bans due to marine mammal bycatch concerns
  • $26.6 billion: the amount of seafood products imported by the US in 2024 from over 140 nations
  • 80%: the estimated percentage of seafood consumed in the US that is imported
  • 650,000: the estimated number of whales, dolphins, and other marine mammals caught and killed each year in fishing gear globally
  • 1972: the year the MMPA prohibited the US from allowing foreign seafood to enter the country unless exporting nations meet the same standards applied to US fishers for limiting marine mammal bycatch
  • 2023: the year a report by conservation groups found that many other nations fail to meet US bycatch standards and should face bans

Sources:

  • Animal Welfare Institute (awionline.org)
  • Center for Biological Diversity (biologicaldiversity.org)
  • Natural Resources Defense Council (nrdc.org)
  • National Marine Fisheries Service (noaa.gov)
  • Animal Welfare Institute's Marine Wildlife Program (awionline.org)
  • Center for Biological Diversity's International Program (biologicaldiversity.org)
  • Natural Resources Defense Council's (NRDC) Marine Conservation Program (nrdc.org)