FAQ / Is Chilean Sea Bass Trade Regulated in the United States?

Yes. In order to address the problem of illegal fishing, the Commission has adopted a measure requiring that all imports of Chilean sea bass be accompanied by a document verifying that the fish were caught legally. NOAA Fisheries recently adopted new regulations requiring electronic catch documents (ECDS) only for all Chilean sea bass shipments seeking entry into the United States as well as the requirement that the fishing vessels involved participate in the new Centralized Vessel Monitoring System (C-VMS). This is an improvement and further bolsters the previous, and still active, requirement for Chilean sea bass imports to possess a valid dealer permit issued by NOAA as well as a pre-approval for all frozen product. The only exception to the C-VMS requirement is the artisanal fisheries of Chile and Peru. Over 90% of the fresh Chilean sea bass entering the United States market is from the artisanal fishery in Chile. Therefore, the United States continues to work closely with Chile to ensure that Chilean sea bass imported from there has been legally caught and is properly documented.

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