NOAA issues fines for importer violating SIMP regulations

NOAA Fisheries announced it has issued a fine of USD 18,675 (EUR 17,000) to Boston, Massachusetts U.S.A.-based Grand Sea Boston LLC for the alleged violation of multiple Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP) requirements.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said it discovered  the packages with seafood imported seafood from China were falsely labeled, violating SIMP requirements. CBP alerted the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement to target future import shipments for investigation. The investigation also found Grand Sea Boston imported sea cucumbers and abalone without obtaining a permit, creating an additional violation of SIMP requirements, reportings, and recordkeeping.

“Honest fishermen and seafood companies deserve an equal playing field,” NOAA Director of Law Enforcement Jim Landon said in a press release. “This case demonstrates our commitment to protecting those who play by the rules by stopping misrepresented seafood or seafood suspected of being harvested illegally before it enters U.S. markets.”

After a deeper investigation, NOAA learned Grand Sea Boston LLC received falsely labeled shipments from China, did not report, or misreported them.

“They failed to maintain and provide complete and accurate chain of custody records tracing the product from its harvest, movement through supply chains, and ultimately its entry into the United States,” NOAA said in a statement.

In response to the fine, National Fisheries Institute (NFI) issued a positive response applauding CBP for catching the Grant Sea Boston LLC SIMP breach, but the organization added they did not feel the enforcement action substantiated the value and effectiveness of SIMP regulations. 

Former NFI President John Connelly expressed support for the SIMP requirements, although expressed concern about the expansion to other species. 

“The seafood community estimates it has spent over USD 50 million (EUR 45 million) on SIMP regulatory and paperwork compliance for just the 13 species covered by the program, a burden on an industry working to feed Americans during a time of recovery. SIMP expansion would impose hundreds of millions of dollars of annual expense for a program that 'does not prevent or stop IUU fish and fish products from entering U.S. commerce,'” Connelly said.

Photo courtesy of NOAA