Through the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP), NOAA/NMFS have identified seafood species most “at-risk” for IUU fishing and fraud, and have developed an electronic traceability program to track these “priority” species from point of harvest to entry into U.S. commerce. The final rule became effective on January 9, 2017, with a compliance date of January 1, 2018 for most priority species.
More recently, NOAA/NMFS proposed a voluntary Commerce Trusted Trader Program (CTTP). The CTTP is intended to lessen the administrative burden of SIMP for companies willing to undergo third party traceability audits. Companies that are already certified for MSC Chain of Custody or similar certification may find these audits to be the simplest way to comply with the SIMP. MRAG Americas is ASI accredited and therefore qualified to provide CTTP auditing services. We are monitoring the progress of the proposed rule. Check back here for updates and/or contact us for more details on how we can help you.
