NMFS Rejects Petition for Import Ban on New Zealand Fish and Fish Products
The National Marine Fisheries Service rejected a request to protect the Maui dolphin through a ban of imports of fish and fish products from New Zealand, the agency said in a notice. The NMFS in February requested public comments on the petition from the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which sought to initiate an emergency rulemaking process under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (see 1902220018). The agency received more than 88,670 comments, but only a small number were substantive, the NMFS said.
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Among other reasons, "NMFS is rejecting the petition because the Government of New Zealand is implementing a regulatory program comparable in effectiveness to the United States," it said. Sea Shepherd didn't comment, but the conservation group said in a news release about the original petition filing that if "the responsible U.S. agencies do not respond appropriately, Sea Shepherd will seek redress in court." Fish and fish products from Mexico currently face court-ordered limits following litigation involving the MMPA and protections for the vaquita porpoise (see 1905210012).
(Federal Register 07/10/19)