October 11, 2025 — A coalition of seafood importers and industry groups such as the National Fisheries Institute (NFI) and the Restaurant Law Center have sued NOAA over its recent determinations on Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) requirements.
NOAA recently determined 240 foreign fisheries do not comply with U.S. marine mammal regulations under the MMPA, finding they did not have sufficient protections in place for marine mammals. As a result of the ruling, those 240 fisheries from 46 different nations will be unable to export any products to the U.S. as of 1 January 2026, including 12 countries that lost access for every single one of its fisheries. Those countries included four which did not submit any applications – Benin, Haiti, Iran, and Venezuela – and eight which submitted applications but were denied – Grenada, Guinea, Namibia, New Caledonia, Russia, Saint Lucia, The Gambia, and Togo.