The Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP), established in 2016 under the Obama administration, was designed to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing by imposing strict monitoring requirements on select seafood imports. Initially covering 13 species groups, NOAA Fisheries has attempted to expand it, but efforts have faced setbacks due to public feedback and implementation challenges.
After withdrawing a 2022 expansion proposal, NOAA gathered stakeholder input and in 2024 introduced an action plan to enhance traceability and enforcement, including plans for pre-entry screening and government-to-government data sharing. However, experts remain skeptical about whether the updates will effectively meet SIMP’s original goal. Goldfish Co-Founder Celeste Leroux criticized the plan’s structure, questioning its ability to ensure proper implementation and enforcement at scale.