NOAA Fisheries Establishes HMS International Trade Permit and Reporting Requirements for Monitoring of Tuna and Swordfish Trade NOAA Fisheries has modified its international trade tracking programs to implement recommendations of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), and to establish a new international trade permit for import, export, or re-export of bluefin tuna, Pacific bluefin tuna, southern bluefin tuna, frozen bigeye tuna, and swordfish. The final rule establishes the Highly Migratory Species International Trade Permit (HMS ITP) to improve administration of HMS management programs. This permit is necessary for all dealers involved in international trade of covered HMS species. Bluefin tuna and swordfish trade is currently covered by other permits; these activities will be consolidated with the HMS ITP. The final rule also requires that trade-tracking statistical documents accompany all imports and/or exports of frozen bigeye tuna, and fresh and frozen swordfish and southern bluefin tuna. A re-export certificate is required for re-exports of these species, and has been added to the existing bluefin tuna statistical document program. Export and re-export documentation must be validated. This program replaces the existing swordfish certificate of eligibility. These regulations will become effective on July 1, 2005. Additional information will be provided to dealers with swordfish and Atlantic tunas dealer permits in the near future. For more information about the program’s implementation contact
ch****************@no**.gov
at (301) 713-2347 or
di************@no**.gov
at (978) 281-9397. The final rule is available on the HMS webpage.
NOAA Fisheries Establishes HMS International Trade Permit and Reporting Requirements for Monitoring of Tuna and Swordfish Trade
NOAA Fisheries has modified its international trade tracking programs to implement recommendations of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) and the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), and to establish a new international trade permit for import, export, or re-export of bluefin tuna, Pacific bluefin tuna, southern bluefin tuna, frozen bigeye tuna, and swordfish.
The final rule establishes the Highly Migratory Species International Trade Permit (HMS ITP) to improve administration of HMS management programs. This permit is necessary for all dealers involved in international trade of covered HMS species. Bluefin tuna and swordfish trade is currently covered by other permits; these activities will be consolidated with the HMS ITP.
The final rule also requires that trade-tracking statistical documents accompany all imports and/or exports of frozen bigeye tuna, and fresh and frozen swordfish and southern bluefin tuna. A re-export certificate is required for re-exports of these species, and has been added to the existing bluefin tuna statistical document program. Export and re-export documentation must be validated. This program replaces the existing swordfish certificate of eligibility.
These regulations will become effective on July 1, 2005. Additional information will be provided to dealers with swordfish and Atlantic tunas dealer permits in the near future.
For more information about the program’s implementation contact
ch****************@no**.gov
at (301) 713-2347 or
di************@no**.gov
at (978) 281-9397. The final rule is available on the HMS webpage.