WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee unanimously reported today S. 2688, the Commercial Seafood Consumer Protection Act. The bill, introduced by Commerce Committee Chairman Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii) and Vice Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) would establish a federal program to ensure that seafood distributed commercially in the United States is fit for consumption.

“Seafood safety is important to all Americans, but particularly important to the citizens of Hawaii,” said Senator Inouye. “As we saw from the recent recall of 11,000 pounds of frozen Indonesian ahi tuna on Oahu due to a salmonella outbreak, the current system is working but must be strengthened to ensure that contaminated seafood is intercepted before ever reaching consumers.”

Senator Inouye continued, “A loss of confidence in the quality of the fish and shellfish we consume in Hawaii and across this nation would be devastating to many industries. It is essential that Americans have faith in the safety and quality of the seafood they consume.”

As reported by the Senate, the Commercial Seafood Consumer Protection Act would:

• Require the Secretaries of Commerce and of Health and Human Services to enter into an agreement to create an infrastructure that would provide a better system for importing safe seafood. This agreement would include provisions on how to: 

                          Examine and test imported seafood

Inspect foreign facilities

Provide technical assistance and training to foreign facilities and governments

Expedite seafood imports from countries with consistently high standards

Generate a shipment tracking system

Create labeling requirements

Commission National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) officers and employees to examine seafood

Share information concerning non-compliance and new regulations

Conduct joint training on subjects related to seafood inspection

• Increase the number of laboratories certified to the Food and Drug Administration’s standards to analyze seafood both in the United States and in foreign nations that export seafood to the United States. 

• Increase the number and/or capacity of NOAA laboratories that are involved with the National Marine Fisheries Service Seafood Inspection Program. 

• Set up a procedure for dealing with cases where contaminated shipments are found entering the United States. It would allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services to refuse imported seafood unlikely to meet federal standards and/or request increased testing of seafood originating from countries where there is reasonable evidence of contamination. Individual shipments would be allowed into the United States if there was laboratory evidence that the shipment meets the requirements of federal law.

• Authorize the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Health and Human Services to send inspectors overseas to assess the methods used by seafood exporters to ensure they are compatible with federal law.

• Authorize $15,000,000 in funding for each fiscal year from 2009 through 2013 to implement the provisions of this Act.