Schatz bill signed into law targeting illegal fishing aims to help expose foreign, intentionally mislabeled ahi

The Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act, bipartisan legislation led by US Sens. Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), was signed into law by President Trump.

The bill directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to develop a standard methodology for identifying the country of origin of red snapper and certain species of tuna imported into the United States. 

“Our new law will give law enforcement a powerful new tool to detect where ahi comes from, help prevent seafood fraud, and give consumers better, more accurate information on what they’re buying and eating,” said Schatz.

Technology exists to chemically test and find the geographic origin of many foods, but not for tuna and red snapper. The new law will help to develop a field test kit that can be used to accurately ascertain whether fish were caught in US or foreign waters, thus allowing federal and state law enforcement officers to identify the origin of the fish and intercept illegally caught or falsely labelled red snapper and tuna before it enters the US market.