Irish salmonid and spiny lobster exports to the USA resume after NOAA lifts restrictions, reinstating standard requirements for Irish exporters.
Restrictions lifted following NOAA equivalence Decision; standard export requirements reinstated for Irish exporters
The Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority received confirmation on 18 March that the restrictions of exports of salmonids and spiny lobster to the United States have been lifted with immediate effect.
This change follows an update to the comparability finding issued by the USA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), granting Ireland equivalence for all its fisheries which can be read in full here. This decision reverses the restrictions previously introduced and communicated to Industry in late 2025.
This means that exports from Ireland to the USA may now resume for:
- salmonids from an aquaculture source farmed in Irish waters
- spiny lobster caught with tangle nets in Irish waters
Irish Fishing News Patrons 2026
In addition, the requirement for Certificates of Admissibility (COA) for similar products of Irish origin as outlined in previous notices has been removed.
Exporters should note, that where fish is imported into Ireland from third countries that have been denied a comparability finding, and subsequently processed and re-exported to the USA, such consignments will still require a COA. A full list of the countries denied comparability findings can be found here.
Accordingly, Irish exporters can revert to export protocols which were in place prior to the introduction of these restrictions. Specifically, consignments of fishery products from Ireland to the USA do not require an export health certificate, certificate of origin or COA. Exporters must ensure that they are registered with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the arrival of the consignment is pre-notified to the FDA.
Any queries regarding this information notice should be addressed to [email protected]
