U.S. President Donald Trump signed the Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act into law 15 October.
“Red snapper is one of the most well-managed and profitable fish in the Gulf, but illegal fishing by Mexican lanchas puts law-abiding U.S. fishermen and seafood producers at a competitive disadvantage,” Senate Commerce Republicans said in a social media post. “Now that this bipartisan bill is law, it will allow federal and state law enforcement officers to utilize technology that determines the country of origin for certain species of fish, and confiscate any such illegally caught fish before sale in the United States.”
The Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act directs NOAA Fisheries to work with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) on developing a standard methodology for testing the country of origin of seafood products. The law dictates that the methodology should include an easily carried field test that uses chemical analysis to determine where the seafood originated. Lawmakers specified that – “to the extent practical” – the test should work for prepared raw products like ceviche, sashimi, sushi, and poke.
During the pilot stage, the program will focus on two example stocks, with red snapper representing stationary stocks and tuna representing highly migratory stocks.
The U.S. Senate initially passed the bill by unanimous consent in July 2025, and the House passed an amended version 14 September 2026 via voice vote. The Senate quickly agreed to the minor changes recommended by the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee during a February 2026 markup and forwarded the bill on to Trump to be signed into law.
