United States re-opens the door to Irish farmed salmon
The aquaculture division of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA Aquaculture) has welcomed the resumption of exports of Irish salmon to the United States after the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) lifted restrictions imposed since January 1.
The ban was the result of a decision by NOAA under the US Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), which prohibits the import of products if marine mammals may have been harmed in their production.
NOAA had determined that Ireland’s salmon from an aquaculture source did not meet US regulatory equivalence standards - specifically regarding provisions under Ireland's Wildlife Act 1976 that were deemed insufficient to provide reassurance to the US authorities.
Access certainty
The issue has now been resolved, with Ireland’s Agriculture, Food and the Marine Minister Timmy Dooley announcing that NOAA has published a comparability finding determination which granted positive findings for Irish farmed salmon exports to the US.
These newly-published findings will give certainty to Irish salmon producers until December 2029.
“The US market is strategically important for the sector which has seen significant growth for Irish salmon producers and exporters in recent years,” IFA Aquaculture said in a press release today.
“IFA Aquaculture acknowledge the effort of the relevant ministers for the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH) and their officials for their engagement on the matter with NOAA and the European Commission.
“The support of the Embassy of Ireland in Washington was also vital for the reinstatement of export eligibility and to ensure Ireland’s aquaculture framework is fully compliant with evolving international standards.”
Equivalance requirements
In November last year, IFA Aquaculture and the Irish Fish Processors & Exporters Association (IFPEA) called on Irish government ministers to engage urgently with NOAA and the European Commission to secure an interim resolution and to amend the relevant provisions of the Wildlife Act to align with international equivalence requirements.
Catherine McManus, vice-chair of IFA Aquaculture division and farming operations director for Mowi Ireland, stressed at the time that NOAA's initial determination was based on a technical legal interpretation rather than any evidence of harm or non-compliance within Irish salmon farming operations.
In 2020, the Scottish government amended the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 to ensure compliance with the US Marine Mammal Protection Act and continued access to the US marketplace for the Scottish salmon industry.
Although it was already illegal to shoot seals, salmon farming companies and angling fishery boards could apply for licences to kill seals predating at farms or in river systems. The amendment removed specific grounds for which ministers were able to grant licences to kill, injure or take seals.
