The Senate approved bipartisan legislation targeting illegal imports of red snapper and certain varieties of tuna.
The chamber passed by unanimous consent S. 283, the “Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act,” from Senate Commerce Chair Ted Cruz (R-Texas), which would have agencies develop a system of determining the origins of caught fish.
“Cartels and other criminal entities are illegally catching, importing, and selling red snapper and tuna to unwitting consumers then using such profits to fund other illicit activities like drug smuggling and human trafficking,” Cruz said in a statement about the bill.
Experts can use chemicals to test the origin of foods, but not tuna and red snapper, according to Cruz and other bipartisan sponsors. The bill would have NOAA and the National Institute of Standards and Technology develop a field test.
