NMFS Again Extends Deadline for MMPA Comparability to Remain Import-Eligible
The National Marine Fisheries Service is postponing by an additional two years an upcoming requirement that foreign countries and fisheries be found comparable in marine mammal protections for their fish and fish products to be eligible for import into the U.S., the agency said in a notice released Nov. 16. The extension until Dec. 31, 2025, gives NMFS "additional time to complete its assessment" of the 134 country applications for comparability findings the agency has received, covering over 2,500 foreign fisheries.
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"This extension would allow time to ensure that comparability determinations are fairly and consistently applied across harvesting nations and their fisheries," NMFS said. "In the event NMFS identifies a need to further extend the exemption period or otherwise amend the 2016 final rule to ensure the effectiveness of the regulatory measures of foreign fisheries, NMFS intends to provide prior notice, solicit public comment, and finalize any such amendments within the extended exemption period provided under this rule.
The 2016 final rule setting the new requirement under the Marine Mammal Protection Act had originally required compliance by the beginning of 2022 (see 1608110008), but that deadline has since been extended twice. The agency published an initial “List of Foreign Fisheries” and their comparability status in 2018 (see 1803160035).