Wildlife Act non-equivalence triggers US import ban on Irish farmed salmon.
Irish exports of farmed salmon to the United States will cease from 1 January 2026 following a decision by US authorities, according to a notice from the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA).
The SFPA said the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) has concluded a “comparability finding” on harvesting nations that export fishery products to the US. For Ireland, NOAA determined that the required equivalence with US legislation is not met, citing a provision in the Wildlife Act that does not conform to the relevant US rules.
As a result, salmon “from an aquaculture source” and common spiny lobster produced in Ireland will no longer be eligible for export to the US from the start of next year. The SFPA said the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the authority have been formally notified of the restriction.
From the same date, consignments of similar products under specified Combined Nomenclature codes will have to be accompanied by a Certificate of Admissibility stating that they do not contain farmed salmon or spiny lobster. These certificates will be issued by the SFPA on request.
The authority said trade in other seafood products not covered by the determination can continue as normal after 1 January 2026 and advised exporters to prepare for the new requirements.
