This bill requires the Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology (the NIST Director) and the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), working with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Coast Guard, to jointly develop a standard, chemical-analysis-based method to identify the country of origin of seafood. The method must support federal and state law enforcement efforts against illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The method should minimize processing time, use a portable field kit that one person can carry, and, when practicable, be usable on prepared raw seafood (for example, ceviche, sashimi, sushi, and poke). Pilot studies must be done using red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) and several tuna species (bigeye, yellowfin, and bluefin). The Under Secretary must report to the listed congressional committees within two years with a summary of the methodology, a plan to operationalize it, and explanations if parts are impracticable.
The bill also authorizes the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard, to use funds appropriated for Department of Defense operation and maintenance to provide maritime technical assistance to other nations to combat IUU fishing and related transnational crime. That assistance may include observers, shipriders, specialized personnel, remote sensing, data analysis, and operational intelligence, and may apply when Coast Guard members or partner personnel operate aboard U.S., partner nation, or international platforms, consistent with U.S. law and policy.
No publicly available information on total costs. The bill authorizes the use of Department of Defense operation and maintenance funds for the maritime assistance described, but it does not specify dollar amounts or provide a cost estimate for developing the testing methodology or field kit.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.