May 15, 2023 — A new online survey by fishing industry advocates is asking U.S. fishermen for their opinions on the federal Seafood Import Monitoring Program – and how it is affecting their businesses.
The National Marine Fisheries Service is proposing changes to the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP), to mixed reviews from the U.S. industry. There is support for expanding NMFS monitoring of more species, but skepticism too about how the agency will license foreign importers, and demands that NMFS do more to crack down on foreign fish harvested by forced labor.
Ocean Strategies, a consulting firm that specializes in American fisheries management, aquaculture policy and seafood consumption, is asking fishermen what they think by participating in an anonymous online survey.