{"id":13386,"date":"2025-09-09T08:11:41","date_gmt":"2025-09-09T12:11:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drealfmgrenada.com\/?p=13386"},"modified":"2025-09-09T08:11:41","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T12:11:41","slug":"ministry-of-the-blue-economy-and-marine-affairs-convenes-urgent-meeting-on-u-s-import-restrictions-under-the-marine-mammal-protection-act","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drealfmgrenada.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/09\/ministry-of-the-blue-economy-and-marine-affairs-convenes-urgent-meeting-on-u-s-import-restrictions-under-the-marine-mammal-protection-act\/","title":{"rendered":"Ministry Of The Blue Economy And Marine Affairs Convenes Urgent Meeting On U.S. Import Restrictions Under The Marine Mammal Protection Act"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The\u00a0<b>Ministry of The Blue Economy and Marine Affairs\u00a0<\/b>on Friday convened an urgent high level meeting to address the implications of the United States\u2019 decision to prohibit imports of fish and fish products harvested by Grenada\u2019s fisheries effective\u00a0<b>January 1, 2026<\/b>, under the\u00a0<b>Marine\u00a0 Mammal Protection Act (MMPA)<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p>This action follows\u00a0<b>NOAA Fisheries\u2019\u00a0<\/b>final\u00a0<b>comparability finding\u00a0<\/b>determinations, which assess\u00a0 whether foreign fisheries have protections for marine mammals comparable in effectiveness to\u00a0 U.S. standards. Grenada\u2019s fisheries were\u00a0<b>denied\u00a0<\/b>comparability. Unless corrective actions are\u00a0 implemented and a new application is approved, exports to the U.S. will remain restricted from\u00a0\u00a0<b>January 1, 2026<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p>The MMPA requires countries exporting fish to the U.S. to implement measures \u2013 including a\u00a0\u00a0<b>prohibition on the intentional killing or serious injury of marine mammals in commercial\u00a0 fishing\u00a0<\/b>\u2013 that minimize marine-mammal injury or mortality.<\/p>\n<p><b>Timeline of Key Events\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>2016:\u00a0<\/b>The U.S. introduced MMPA import provisions with an exemption period for trading\u00a0 partners to come into compliance.<\/li>\n<li><b>2020:\u00a0<\/b>NOAA issued the\u00a0<b>List of Foreign Fisheries (LOFF)\u00a0<\/b>identifying fisheries (by\u00a0 country and gear) required to obtain a comparability finding for U.S. market access.\u00a0\u2022\u00a0<b>March 2021:\u00a0<\/b>Grenada engaged with NOAA and was advised to submit a full comparability\u00a0 application.<\/li>\n<li><b>November 30, 2021:\u00a0<\/b>Application deadline extended to this date due to COVID-19;\u00a0 consultations occurred in\u00a0<b>May 2021<\/b>, but compliance gaps remained.<\/li>\n<li><b>2022\u20132025:\u00a0<\/b>The U.S. extended the exemption period, ultimately to\u00a0<b>December 31, 2025<\/b>,\u00a0 to allow additional time for compliance.<\/li>\n<li><b>September 2, 2025:\u00a0<\/b>NOAA announced final determinations;\u00a0<b>Grenada was denied\u00a0<\/b>comparability findings due to the absence of a legal prohibition on intentional\u00a0 killing\/serious injury of marine mammals.<\/li>\n<li><b>January 1, 2026:\u00a0<\/b>U.S. import restrictions on fish and fish products harvested by Grenada\u2019s\u00a0 fisheries take effect.\u00a0<b>Nations denied may reapply after this date.\u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Findings Reviewed\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p>The Ministry reviewed an internal briefing on MMPA compliance. Key issues identified include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Absence of a legal\u00a0<b>prohibition\u00a0<\/b>on intentional killing or serious injury of marine mammals\u00a0 in commercial fisheries.<\/li>\n<li><b>Missed deadline\u00a0<\/b>for a complete comparability application (originally\u00a0<b>November 30,\u00a0 2021<\/b>).<\/li>\n<li>Insufficient\u00a0<b>monitoring and bycatch reporting\u00a0<\/b>systems.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Government Response and Next Steps\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Minister\u2019s Statement:\u00a0<\/b>\u201cThe U.S. market is important to our fishing community. We are acting\u00a0 swiftly to close the identified gaps \u2013 through urgent legal reform, stronger monitoring, and close\u00a0 engagement with international partners \u2013 so Grenada can restore U.S. market access as quickly as\u00a0 possible in 2026.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>Immediate actions underway:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><b>Legislative fix (Q4 2025):\u00a0<\/b>Fast-track regulations to prohibit intentional killing or serious\u00a0 injury of marine mammals in commercial fisheries; establish penalties and enforcement. 2.\u00a0<b>Monitoring &amp; reporting (Q4 2025):\u00a0<\/b>Introduce mandatory reporting of all marine mammal interactions; enhance monitoring at sea and at landing sites.<\/li>\n<li><b>Reapplication (Early 2026):\u00a0<\/b>Submit a new comparability application to NOAA with\u00a0 updated laws, enforcement provisions, and monitoring evidence.<\/li>\n<li><b>Stakeholder support (Q4 2025\u20132026):\u00a0<\/b>Provide guidance and technical assistance to\u00a0 fishers and exporters during the transition.<\/li>\n<li><b>International cooperation:\u00a0<\/b>Engage\u00a0<b>FAO, OECS, and U.S. counterparts\u00a0<\/b>for technical support and capacity building.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><b>Assurance to the Public\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p>These U.S. import restrictions\u00a0<b>do not\u00a0<\/b>affect Grenada\u2019s ability to fish, sell locally, or trade in other\u00a0 markets. The Ministry is working collaboratively with stakeholders, legal experts, and partners to\u00a0\u00a0<b>restore access to the U.S. seafood market in 2026\u00a0<\/b>and to uphold Grenada\u2019s reputation for\u00a0 responsible marine stewardship. Public consultations will be held to keep stakeholders informed\u00a0 and to invite recommendations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>The\u00a0Ministry of The Blue Economy and Marine Affairs\u00a0on Friday convened an urgent high level meeting to address the implications of the United States\u2019 decision to prohibit imports of fish and fish products harvested by Grenada\u2019s <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/drealfmgrenada.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/09\/ministry-of-the-blue-economy-and-marine-affairs-convenes-urgent-meeting-on-u-s-import-restrictions-under-the-marine-mammal-protection-act\/\" title=\"Ministry Of The Blue Economy And Marine Affairs Convenes Urgent Meeting On U.S. Import Restrictions Under The Marine Mammal Protection Act\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":13387,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2,39],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-13386","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-government-news","8":"category-local-news"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drealfmgrenada.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMGC3723-1-1024x672-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C672&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"rttpg_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drealfmgrenada.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMGC3723-1-1024x672-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C672&ssl=1",1024,672,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/drealfmgrenada.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMGC3723-1-1024x672-1.jpg",1024,672,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/drealfmgrenada.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMGC3723-1-1024x672-1.jpg",1024,672,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drealfmgrenada.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMGC3723-1-1024x672-1.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drealfmgrenada.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMGC3723-1-1024x672-1.jpg?fit=300%2C197&ssl=1",300,197,true],"large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drealfmgrenada.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMGC3723-1-1024x672-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C672&ssl=1",1024,672,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drealfmgrenada.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMGC3723-1-1024x672-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C672&ssl=1",1024,672,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drealfmgrenada.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMGC3723-1-1024x672-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C672&ssl=1",1024,672,true],"mh-magazine-slider":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drealfmgrenada.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMGC3723-1-1024x672-1.jpg?resize=1024%2C438&ssl=1",1024,438,true],"mh-magazine-content":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drealfmgrenada.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMGC3723-1-1024x672-1.jpg?resize=678%2C381&ssl=1",678,381,true],"mh-magazine-large":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drealfmgrenada.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMGC3723-1-1024x672-1.jpg?resize=678%2C509&ssl=1",678,509,true],"mh-magazine-medium":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drealfmgrenada.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMGC3723-1-1024x672-1.jpg?resize=326%2C245&ssl=1",326,245,true],"mh-magazine-small":["https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/drealfmgrenada.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/IMGC3723-1-1024x672-1.jpg?resize=80%2C60&ssl=1",80,60,true]},"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"adminrfm","author_link":"https:\/\/drealfmgrenada.com\/index.php\/author\/adminrfm\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"<a 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