The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has introduced a new regulation affecting the Northern Red Snapper within the framework of the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP). This regulatory update has now been implemented in the ACE Certification, with the ACE Production deployment scheduled for no earlier than January 13, 2024.
Under this new rule, the NMFS will no longer accept aggregated harvest reports for the Northern Red Snapper (Lutjanus campechanus), irrespective of vessel size, when declaring the SIMP through the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Automated Commercial Environment (ACE). This restriction specifically applies to HTS codes 0302895058 (Snapper, Lutjanidae) and 0303890067 (Other, Snapper, Lutjanidae spp.). Small Vessel Harvest (SVH) will not be allowed when declaring the species code for SNR (Northern Red Snapper) or SNX (Snappers nei). However, declaration for Wild-Capture Harvests (HCF) and Aquaculture (HBA) will remain permissible for these two species codes.
The Seafood Import Monitoring Program, a risk-based traceability initiative, mandates importers to furnish and report critical data from the point of harvest to the entry into U.S. commerce for over 1,100 unique species. SIMP encompasses nearly half of all seafood imports into the United States.
Designed to combat the influx of illegal, unreported, and unregulated-caught, or misrepresented seafood into U.S. commerce, SIMP imposes reporting and recordkeeping requirements for imports of thirteen seafood species groups. This program contributes to safeguarding the national economy, global food security, and the sustainability of shared ocean resources.
Compliance for the initial eleven species groups commenced on January 1, 2018, while compliance for shrimp and abalone, the remaining two species groups, became effective on December 31, 2018.
Species/Species Groups:
The 1,100 unique species covered by SIMP, organized into 13 species groups, are identified as particularly vulnerable to illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, seafood fraud, or both. SIMP oversees approximately half of all seafood imports into the United States.
NOAA utilizes the International Trade Data System, the U.S. government’s central data portal for all import and export reporting, to trace these species back to their point of harvest or production and verify the lawfulness of their harvesting or production.
- Abalone
- Atlantic cod
- Blue crab (Atlantic)
- Dolphinfish (Mahi Mahi)
- Grouper
- King crab (red)
- Pacific cod
- Red snapper
- Sea cucumber
- Sharks
- Shrimp
- Swordfish
- Tuna (Albacore, Bigeye, Skipjack, Yellowfin, Bluefin)
