US postpones ban, Vietnam crabs "escape unscathed"

The court ruled that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA/NMFS) must re-evaluate the "comparability findings" of relevant national fisheries under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). This means that Vietnamese crab exports have temporarily been "granted a reprieve," but within the next 60 days, countries must provide additional information to determine whether they will qualify to continue exporting to the United States. According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), the case began with a lawsuit from the U.S. domestic industry. On October 11, the National Fisheries Institute (NFI), the National Restaurant Association (NRA), and several seafood companies jointly sued NOAA, accusing it of refusing to recognize the "comparability of protective measures" of 240 fisheries in 46 countries, including Vietnam, in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act. Vietnam's fishing industry is listed under Fishery ID 2988 (including ...