1. Enhancing NOAA Fisheries Seafood Safety, Quality, and Outreach Programs

2. Acknowledgment of Team Participants Linda Chaves Usha Varanasi Walt Dickhoff Tony Lowry Tim Hansen Tom Hom Spencer Garrett Calvin Walker Eric Staiger Brian Vaubel

3. NOAA’s Mission Implies… A healthy and sustainable seafood supply Information about the seafood supply that is available and understandable Contribution to seafood safety research, inspection, education and trade

4. Seafood Challenges… From 150 countries 80% from foreign sources Seafood safety problems common Seafood economic fraud is common Federal resources to address the problem have been limited Consumer perception not always factual

5. Current Seafood Inspection Activities FDA—regulators (mandatory) NOAA SIP— (voluntary) Farm Bill FSIS—regulators (mandatory) for catfish and farm- raised fish AMS—(voluntary) for catfish and farm- raised fish

6. NOAA Fisheries Resources… Not closely coordinated Seafood Inspection Partnership and Communication staff Trade staff National Seafood Inspection Laboratory Science Centers (NWFSC and PIFSC)

7. TRENDS AND THEIR IMPACT ON SEAFOOD SAFETY AND QUALITY The consumer demand for fish and shellfish continues to grow Domestic demand for safe seafood will continue to exceed domestic supply from wild stocks

8. U.S. SEAFOOD SUPPLY AND DEMAND: PAST AND PROJECTED (Round Weight) -198519901995200020052010201520202025 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 Million MT Demand = Per capita consumption x population U.S. Supply = Harvest - Exports U.S. Harvest Demand based on new dietary guidelines: 2 seafood meals per week

9. TRENDS AND THEIR IMPACT ON SEAFOOD SAFETY AND QUALITY The contribution of aquaculture to supply fish, crustaceans, molluscs and other aquatic resources will continue to grow

10. GLOBAL SEAFOOD PRODUCTION '50'55'60'65'70'75'80'85'90'95'00 '05 0 20 40 60 80 100 Million MT '70 '75'80'85'90'95 '00 '05 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 Million MT World (excluding US) United States - Global and US wild catch stable - Aquaculture production growing WORLD WILD CATCH WORLD AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION

11. Global Fisheries and Aquaculture Production Source: FAO FishStat '71'75'80'85'90'95'00'05 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 Capture Aquaculture Global Fisheries and Aquaculture Production

12. TRENDS AND THEIR IMPACT ON SEAFOOD SAFETY AND QUALITY Increasing seafood consumption and demand are exceeding capacity for seafood inspection Economic fraud in the nation’s seafood supply is increasing

13. TRENDS AND THEIR IMPACT ON SEAFOOD SAFETY AND QUALITY Consumer confidence in seafood safety is declining The human health benefits of seafood consumption are becoming increasingly apparent

14. FINDINGS # 1 Current Federal Government resources are inadequate to ensure safety and quality of seafood Situation will probably worsen with increased aquaculture production

15. FDA inspects seafood product imports at port; NMFS inspects seafood products in domestic commerce Import shipments Importer/ Retailer FDA inspects approx. 1% of shipments at point of entry (GAO Jan. 2004) NOAA inspects “lots” of product for firms supplying customers. Statistical expansion of inspected lots represents 1.9 billion pounds annually (one-third of annual consumption) Consumer Domestic supply

16. NMFS inspections 2006 Processing Firms Grade A LBS PUFI LBS No Mark LBS Lot Inspection LBS Total LBS 37751,733150,48767,0341,624,2931,893,566

17. OPTIONS # 1 Work closely with the Food and Drug Administration and provide support for regulatory activity as well as assisting the seafood industry in understanding food law compliance issues

18. FINDINGS # 2 Adequate inspections of imported seafood are not practical given the amount of resources available

19. OPTIONS #2 Increase analytical capacities to support seafood monitoring programs in NOAA Fisheries Service at the National Seafood Inspection Laboratory and the Northwest Fisheries Science Center, and certify NOAA accredited third party laboratories

20. OPTIONS # 3 Establish systematic monitoring programs for the U.S. seafood supply for contaminants and species substitutions

21. OPTIONS # 4 Develop new and automated technologies for more rapid, timely, and cost-efficient analyses of contaminants and antibiotic residues

22. OPTIONS # 5 Increase enforcement of contaminant and drug residue regulations and economic fraud cases based on monitoring programs

23. OPTIONS # 6 Increase the capacity of the Seafood Inspection Program to inspect foreign seafood processors to meet U.S. standards

24. Finding #3 Economic fraud from species substitution and mislabeling is decreasing consumer confidence Findings & Options Option #7 Improve methods and increase capacity for DNA-based and other chemical methods for species identification

25. Findings & Options Finding #4 Consumer confidence in the sustainability of the nation’s seafood supply is decreasing Option#8 Create and apply sustainability standards for U.S. wild caught fisheries and place a sustainability logo on seafood products deemed by NOAA to come from sustainable fishery stocks

26. FINDINGS #5 The U.S. public is unsure of how to balance the benefits and risks of seafood consumption

27. OPTIONS # 9 Augment research directed at evaluating benefits versus risks of seafood consumption, including contemporary assessments of mercury, selenium, banned chemical contaminants, emerging chemicals of concern, and omega-3 fatty acids

28. OPTIONS # 10 Augment research to better understand human requirements for beneficial factors in seafood and health impacts of seafood contaminants

29. OPTIONS # 11 Improve public outreach and communication by providing up-to-date information and descriptions of programs to protect seafood consumers (e.g., NOAA Fisheries Service Fish Watch web page, conferences, and correcting media inaccuracies).

30. OPTIONS # 12 Develop and make available to the public databases that track beneficial nutritional content of seafood products such as Omega 3 fatty acid, selenium as well as micro contaminants.

31. Findings & Options Finding #6 Established US Product Quality and Safety Standards are obsolete and do not reflect the capability of modern processing technology although there is a great demand for the use of these standards by the retail trade. International product quality and safety standards are still being developed Option #13 Revise US Grade Standards for Fish and Fishery Products to be more useful in describing high quality and desirable consumer products that will increase demand for seafood products Option #14 Increase NOAA Fisheries’ involvement in the Codex Committee for Fish and Fishery Products (CCFFP) beyond the current level of providing an Alternate US delegate

32. Findings & Options Finding #7 In order to best address some of the problems of seafood safety and quality NOAA will need to organize and coordinate these activities more closely. Option #15 To enhance NOAA Fisheries seafood safety and quality capability the function will need specific direction from an Office or staff at the headquarters level. The components that could be brought together for closer collaboration are the Seafood Inspection Program, The National Seafood Inspection Laboratory, Trade staff and Partnership and Communication (with the exception of Recreational Fishing) staff and the addition two positions a trade coordinator and a seafood research coordinator.

33. Strategic Considerations Fact: There are real and perceived problems with seafood safety, quality, sustainability and economic integrity Fact: Seafood Offers vital nutritional benefits to the consumer How should NOAA react?

34. By enhancing and coordinating the activities of Seafood Inspection, Partnership and Coordination Staff, Trade Staff, the National Seafood Inspection Laboratory and Seafood research within the science centers (NWFSC & PIFSC)

35. Possible Effects… The upside NOAA appears responsive Addresses political issues May attract funding Supports intent of Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization Act The downside Should stay within bounds of mission Will need funding Should attempt to augment FDA not encroach on FDA mission

36. Discussion??