Illegal Seafood Imports Cost US Fishing $61 Million In 2021
GAO catalogs digital tracking and lab tests, from DNA to chemical signatures, now used to unmask false origin claims on imports.
- CBP is upgrading laboratories and building new tests to verify import origin claims at the border.
- NOAA pilots a field test that reads DNA to confirm a seafood shipment's true species.
- Elemental signatures in wood samples can reveal where imported timber actually originated.
Why it matters: The technology to catch a false label already exists; what is missing is a rule forcing its use.
GAO Science & Tech Spotlight GAO-26-109131 ↗ · Jul 15, 20267/15/26 · ✓ Checked✓ Check