U.S. Lifts Import Ban on Suriname Drift Gillnet Fishery
AI-generated summary for informational purposes only. Not legal advice. See the original source for the authoritative text.
This notice allows fish and fish products from Suriname’s drift gillnet fishery, Fishery ID 2899, to be imported into the United States again from June 22, 2026. NOAA found that Suriname has fixed the marine mammal protection issues that led to an earlier denial under U.S. import rules. The practical effect is that U.S. importers, seafood buyers, and Surinamese exporters connected to this fishery can resume trade, as long as the comparability finding remains valid through December 31, 2029 or any other period NOAA sets.
AI-generated summary. May contain errors. Refer to official sources for legal decisions.
Key Changes
- NOAA grants a comparability finding to Suriname’s drift gillnet fishery, Fishery ID 2899.
- The U.S. import prohibition on fish and fish products from that fishery is removed effective June 22, 2026.
- The finding is valid through December 31, 2029, unless NOAA sets a different period.
Obligations
What this law requires
U.S. importers and seafood buyers may import fish and fish products from Suriname’s drift gillnet fishery, Fishery ID 2899, only while NMFS’s comparability finding for that fishery remains valid and in effect.
Surinamese exporters relying on this notice must ensure fish and fish products exported to the United States are from the covered drift gillnet fishery, Fishery ID 2899, that received the NMFS comparability finding.
Foreign commercial fisheries exporting fish or fish products to the United States must have a comparability finding showing that their regulatory program for incidental marine mammal mortality and serious injury achieves results comparable to the U.S. program.