April 19, 2023

NOAA’s Seafood Safety and Quality Programs: Meeting the Challenges of a

Global Seafood Supply

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Development of This Strategic Plan

• Held Three Brainstorms in Seattle

• Group Included:

—Seafood Inspection

—NSIL Scientists

—NWFSC Scientists

—Advisor to AA

• Assumption: We envisioned what we would like to read in the news in the year 2020

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Contents of the Document

Setting the Stage for Seafood Safety

Why do we care about seafood safetyThe seafood supply Is the seafood supply at risk?Consumer Confidence International requirements for seafood imports

Federal Government Oversight of Seafood Safety-Regulatory Reality

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Program Goals and Objectives

Goal I NOAA’s Policies, Priorities and Organization

Goal II Seafood Inspection and Certification

Goal III Increase NOAA’s Fisheries Research and Monitoring Capabilities

Goal IV Consumer Perception, Understanding and Confidence

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Goal I NOAA’s Policies, Priorities and Organization

Objectives

1 I NOAA Fisheries includes seafood quality and safety in NOAA strategic plan as a priority

2 NOAA Fisheries establishs an external seafood advisory panel to help set NOAA Fisheries priorities on seafood safety, seafood health research and dietary recommendations.

3 SIP and OLE continue to reduce economic fraud in the marketplace

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Goal I NOAA’s Policies, Priorities and Organization (continued)

Objectives (continued) 4 NOAA increases role in regulatory policy through greater

participation in international fora e.g. Codex, World Organization for animal health (OIE), ISO

5 Product Quality and Safety (PQ and S) appropriation is used to improve the nation’s health and commerce through promoting seafood quality and safety

6 NOAA decides that a dedicated share of Saltonstall-Kennedy appropriation is used to promote seafood quality and safety and consumer education

7 NOAA Fisheries provides SIP with the resources that better enable it to be the government source for all required seafood certificates

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Goal II Seafood Inspection and Certification

Objectives1 SIP completes MOU with FDA, Animal Plant Health

Inspection Service (APHIS) and Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) if necessary

2 SIP creates a joint program to address economic fraud in seafood in the marketplace with FDA, Custom Border Protection (CBT) and FSIS if necessary

3 SIP works with FDA to gain recognition and better cover foreign seafood firms

4 SIP cooperates with third party NGO’s that promote good environmental practices as resources allow

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Goal II Seafood Inspection and Certification (continued)

Objectives (continued) 5 NOAA Fisheries increases SIP’s internal capacity to

conduct foreign seafood HACCP audits to ensure greater compliance

6 SIP rewrites and modernizes the regulations for processed fishery products

7 SIP modernizes the U.S. Standards for Grades of Fishery Products with clear instructions

8 SIP creates a database system to track inspection information, issue certificates and billing

9 SIP institutes improved training for seafood inspectors

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Goal II Seafood Inspection and Certification (continued)

Objectives (continued) 10 SIP becomes the government source for all

seafood certification services (health, traceability, animal health)

11 SIP provides in-plant and lot inspection services overseas

12 SIP develops and implements a system for issuance of IUU certificates for the EC DG MARE

13 SIP creates retail buying specifications for the U.S. retail industry

14 SIP enhances its ability to deliver training to industry and other interested parties

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Goal III Increase NOAA’s Fisheries Research and Monitoring Capabilities

Objectives 1 NOAA Fisheries increases analytical capacities and

capabilities 2 NOAA Fisheries improves coordination of resources 3 NOAA Fisheries attains analytical facilities

certification by international laboratory standards organizations

4 NOAA Fisheries conducts a sustained monitoring effort that systematically samples U.S. seafood supply

5 NOAA Fisheries identifies research priorities and coordination of resources to fund high priority research.

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Goal IV Consumer Perception, Understanding and Confidence

Objectives 1 NOAA establishes a public information and

education program regarding the health benefits and risks of seafood

2 NOAA establishes an international clearinghouse for seafood and health information in conjunction with WHO, FAO

3 NOAA supports research and development of analytical capacity to identify nutritionally beneficial components of seafood and develop databases on micro constituents

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Goal IV Consumer Perception, Understanding and Confidence (continued)

Objectives (continued) 4 NOAA Fisheries develops tools for consumers that

help them make informed decisions

5 NOAA Fisheries develops tools the seafood trade to enable them to accurately determine the species of seafood

6 NOAA Fisheries encourages the increase in per capita consumption to at least 12 ounces per week

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Conclusion

This plan should enable NOAA Fisheries to align seafood quality and safety with its mission, better serve the seafood consumer and be an effective Federal partner to food regulatory agencies.