NOAA Marine Mammal Protection Act Import Comparability Findings

Regs.gov: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Published March 16th, 2026

Detected March 16th, 2026

Summary

NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service has issued a notice regarding Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) comparability findings for imported fish and fish products. This notice reinstates import eligibility for certain fisheries from New Caledonia, Grenada, and Ireland, effective March 16, 2026, removing previous import prohibitions.

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What changed

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has issued a notice announcing that certain fisheries from New Caledonia, Grenada, and Ireland, previously denied comparability findings under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), have now addressed the deficiencies. Consequently, import prohibitions for fish and fish products from these specific fisheries (detailed by Fishery IDs in the document) are removed, and comparability findings are reinstated, effective March 16, 2026. This action allows these nations to resume exporting affected products to the United States.

Regulated entities involved in importing fish and fish products from these nations should be aware that the import restrictions for the specified fisheries have been lifted as of March 16, 2026. Companies should verify the specific Fishery IDs affected to ensure compliance with import regulations. No new actions are required by importers, but they should update their compliance procedures to reflect the reinstated import eligibility for these previously prohibited fisheries.

What to do next

Verify specific Fishery IDs for New Caledonia, Grenada, and Ireland that have had import prohibitions removed.
Update import compliance procedures to reflect reinstated eligibility for affected fisheries.

Penalties

Nations whose fisheries were denied comparability findings were prohibited from importing fish and fish products from those fisheries into the United States.

Source document (simplified)

Content

ACTION:

Notification; publication of comparability finding determinations.

DATES:

These comparability findings are valid and in effect from March 16, 2026 through December 31, 2029, or for such other period
as NMFS may specify.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Sarah Ellgen, Office of International Affairs, Trade, and Commerce, NMFS, (302) 827-7568, mmpa.loff@noaa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) precludes the import into the United States of fish and fish products taken in foreign
commercial fisheries that cause serious injury and mortality of marine mammals in excess of U.S. standards. Regulations issued
to implement the MMPA import provisions require exporting nations to receive a finding that they maintain a regulatory program
with respect to incidental mortality and serious injury of marine mammals in the course of commercial fishing operations that
includes, or effectively achieves, results comparable to the U.S. program.

On September 2, 2025, NMFS announced its 2025 MMPA comparability finding determinations in the
Federal Register
(90 FR 42395) and posted the determinations on its website. Nations whose fisheries were denied comparability findings were
prohibited from importing fish and fish products from those fisheries into the United States beginning January 1, 2026. Nations
may reapply for a comparability finding for the affected fisheries at any time.

New Caledonia, Grenada, and Ireland were denied comparability findings for some or all of their fisheries, and have reapplied
for comparability findings. NMFS determined that they have addressed the issues for which they were denied comparability findings
and with this notice announces that the denied fisheries (New Caledonia: Fishery ID 1880; Grenada: Fishery IDs

  1251, 1252, 1253, 1258, and 12603; and Ireland: Fishery IDs 1388 and 1386) have received comparability findings and the corresponding
  import prohibitions are removed effective March 16, 2026. These comparability finding reports can be found at: *https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/international-affairs/2025-marine-mammal-protection-act-comparability-finding-determinations.*

Dated: March 12, 2026. Samuel D. Rauch III, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Regulatory Programs, National Marine Fisheries Service. [FR Doc. 2026-05115 Filed 3-13-26; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3510-22-P