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US to ban seafood imports due to deadly dolphin scandal

Conservation groups have brokered a deal that will benefit marine life such as whales, dolphins and other animals.

Delfines
Hamid Elbaz | Pexels

The US Court of International Trade witnessed a historic deal that will see a ban put in place on all seafood imports that fail to meet the stringent standards of the country, safeguarding whales, dolphins, and seals from entanglement in fishing gear used in foreign waters.

January 1st, 2026 is when the ban will come into effect that will have a marked effect on the conservation efforts of our marine mammal cousins.

A settlement was reached after a lawsuit filed by the Animal Welfare Institute, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and the Center for Biological Diversity.

Over 650,000 marine mammals are killed annually

Their lawsuit targeted the U.S. Department of Commerce, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Department of the Treasury, and the Department of Homeland Security.

Known as ‘bycatches’, over 650,000 marine mammals are killed annually after being caught in fishing nets, making it the number one threat to their numbers in modern times.

Georgia Hancock, program director and senior attorney for the Animal Welfare Institute’s Marine Wildlife Program called the settlement “a significant step forward for marine mammal welfare.”

“Bycatch not only affects marine mammal populations but also raises serious animal welfare concerns. While most animals entangled in fishing gear die by drowning, those who escape often suffer prolonged injuries, such as cuts, broken bones, or amputations, and die weeks or months after their entanglement", she concluded.

World Animal News reports that 80% of seafood consumed in the U.S. comes from foreign waters, with countries such as China, Norway and India main sources. The US is also the number one importer of seafood in the world, with over $25 billion spent annually on bringing in produce consisting of shrimp, tuna and other species.

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