NFMS Asks for Comments on Toothfish Import Regs

The National Marine Fisheries Service is asking for comments on its rules on importation of toothfish, as part of a broader review of its regulations. Under a final rule issued in 2007, toothfish, which are sometimes also called Chilean Sea Bass, must be caught by a boat with a vessel monitoring system as a condition of importation. The rule also exempts shipments of fresh toothfish from the NMFS preapproval process, allows importers of frozen toothfish to submit their CBP entry numbers subsequent to their application for preapproval, and requires electronic catch documents from all toothfish importers. Comments are due Oct. 8.