The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced a final rule updating the regulatory definition of "shellfish" to eliminate outdated language, improve regulatory clarity, and reduce unnecessary burdens on the regulated community.
Under 50 CFR part 10, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regulates the import and export of wildlife and wildlife products. The regulations provide an exemption from certain import and export requirements for shellfish.
The final revisions clarify that cephalopods—including squid, octopus, and cuttlefish—are included within the regulatory definition of shellfish. The update aligns federal regulations with modern scientific understanding and longstanding commercial practice.
“America’s seafood industry operates in a global marketplace, and our regulations should reflect modern science and common sense,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik. “This update removes an unnecessary regulatory burden on U.S. squid fisheries, provides greater certainty for seafood producers and exporters, and aligns our regulations with longstanding commercial and international practice.”
These changes help ensure that commercially harvested squid fisheries are treated consistently with other seafood products under existing import and export regulations. By clarifying the scope of the shellfish exemption, the rule reduces unnecessary regulatory requirements and associated costs for seafood producers, processors, importers, and exporters.
The Service developed the rule in coordination with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to help ensure consistency across federal agencies.
The rule does not alter existing conservation authorities, wildlife protections, or management responsibilities. Instead, it updates definitional language to better reflect current scientific understanding and longstanding industry practice.
OK, that make sense, but I wonder how many days they spent working on it.
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