The U.S. Senate has passed a bill directing the federal government to develop a new field test kit that can identify the country of origin of red snapper and tuna, giving law enforcement a new tool to discover illegally caught or imported fish.
“Seafood that’s caught illegally or intentionally mislabeled rips off consumers and makes it harder for law-abiding U.S. fishermen to compete,” U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) said in a statement. “Our bill will help fight against anyone who tries to pass off cheap foreign tuna for high-quality ahi from local Hawai‘i fishermen.”
The Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Act would direct NOAA and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to create a standardized chemical test that can be used in the field to determine the country of origin of imported red snapper and certain species of tuna.
The U.S. government has shown increased interest in shutting down illegal red snapper harvesting along the nation’s maritime border with Mexico. The U.S. Coast Guard has interdicted dozens of Mexican fishers illegally operating in U.S. waters since the beginning of the year, and in a recent change of policy, the U.S. Department of Justice has begun pressing charges on the fishers instead of simply sending them back over the border.
“Red snapper is among the most regulated and profitable fish in the Gulf of America. It is consistently being poached by Mexican fishermen who come into U.S. waters and then return to Mexico with their catch. These fish are then sold in Mexico or exported back to the United States,” the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation said in a report on the bill.
In 2024, the U.S. Department of Treasury issued sanctions on five Mexican individuals in an attempt to crack down on the illegal red snapper trade.
“Hardworking Texas fishermen in the Gulf of America are being undercut by cartel-backed entities who illegally catch and smuggle red snapper into U.S. markets, using profits to fund other illicit activities,” U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said in a statement. “I am proud to lead the fight on this bipartisan legislation to crack down on these corrupt operations, stand up for Texas fishermen, and protect our communities. Now, it’s time for the House to act and help us put an end to this illegality.”
The bill was introduced by Schatz, Cruz, U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Alabama), and U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama).
After the Senate passed the bill by unanimous consent, the legislation was sent to the House for its approval. A previous version of the bill was approved by the Senate Commerce Committee in 2024, but it was not voted on by the full Senate before the end of the legislative session.
Source - https://www.seafoodsource.com
