Taking and Importing of Marine Mammals

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

Notice; new 5-year affirmative finding for Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, and Spain.

The NMFS Assistant Administrator (Assistant Administrator) has issued a new 5-year affirmative finding for the Governments of Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, and Spain (referred to hereafter as “The Nations”) under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) related to the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean (ETP) tuna purse seine fishery and the importation of yellowfin tuna from nations participating in this fishery. This affirmative finding will allow the importation into the United States of yellowfin tuna and yellowfin tuna products harvested in the ETP, in compliance with the Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Program (AIDCP), by purse seine vessels operating under The Nations' jurisdiction or exported from The Nations. NMFS bases the affirmative finding determination on reviews of documentary evidence submitted by the Governments of The Nations and of information obtained from the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC).

This new affirmative finding is effective for the 5-year period of April 1, 2025, through March 31, 2030.