TOP IMPORTS

The United States mainly imports seafood from China, Thailand, Canada, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Ecuador. Our top imports (by volume) include shrimp, freshwater fish, tuna, salmon, groundfish, crab, and squid. Check out U.S. foreign trade statistics. Trade tracking programs monitor the international trade of some species such as bluefin tuna, swordfish, bigeye tuna, and Chilean sea bass by requiring that imports include documentation of details on catch—such as what gear was used, and when and where the fish was caught.

GLOBAL CHALLENGES

One of the biggest challenges in international fisheries management is advancing our commitment to science-based management, for example, by setting sustainable catch limits based on scientific advice. Strengthening the quality of scientific advice – by encouraging all fishing partners to improve data collection, monitoring and reporting, and participation in stock assessments – is also critical. We also continue to look for ways that fishermen can avoid interactions with unwanted bycatch and use techniques to minimize harm to any ocean wildlife that is captured unintentionally. Another challenge is ensuring that all nations are in compliance with internationally agreed conservation and management measures. We’re also engaged in a global effort to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which deprives legal fishermen and coastal communities of up to $23 billion of seafood and seafood products annually and threatens the long-term sustainability of global seafood supplies. IUU fishing can include activities such as fishing without a license or quota for certain species, unauthorized transshipments to cargo vessels, failing to report catches or making false reports, keeping undersized fish or fish that are otherwise protected by regulations, fishing in closed areas or during closed seasons, and using prohibited fishing gear.”