Advocacy Update l RLC Joins Lawsuit Over Marine Mammal Protection Act Implementation

The Restaurant Law Center (RLC), alongside the National Fisheries Institute and major seafood suppliers, filed a lawsuit last Friday against NOAA over the implementation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).

Read the press statement here.

Why Now: 

Starting Jan. 1, 2026, the U.S. will ban seafood imports from countries that don’t meet U.S. standards for protecting marine mammals — a move NOAA says affects 240 fisheries across 46 nations.

Why it matters:

The ban threatens access to key products like pasteurized crab, heavily sourced from Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines.

Reconsideration of affected fisheries is only possible after the ban takes effect.

Domestic production of pasteurized crab meat falls drastically short of meeting U.S. restaurant demand — producing just 29,000 pounds annually compared to the nearly 62 million pounds imported each year.

Major brands and state restaurant associations are already sounding the alarm over supply chain disruptions and price spikes.

What’s Next: 

Filed in the U.S. Court of International Trade, the lawsuit seeks to:

Vacate the September 2 action.

Compel the agency to adopt a lawful, results-based approach that balances conservation with global market realities.

Read the lawsuit here.

The Bottom Line: 

Unless reversed, the MMPA import ban could reshape seafood availability for U.S. restaurants.