Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act

Key Points

• Federal science and ocean agencies must jointly build a portable, chemical-based test kit that can identify exactly which country a piece of seafood came from, aimed at catching illegal fishing.
• The test must be fast, portable enough for one person to carry, and able to work on prepared dishes like sushi, sashimi, ceviche, and poke, not just whole fish.
• The pilot program will start with red snapper, which stays in one area, and three tuna species that migrate long distances, to test the method on different types of fish stocks.
• Within two years of becoming law, officials must report to Congress on how the testing method works, how to roll it out, and what to do if parts of it don't work.
• The bill also lets the Defense Department use existing funds to send Coast Guard members, observers, and technical experts to help other countries' navies stop illegal fishing and related crime.