Islamabad, In a significant global achievement, Pakistan has been granted a two-year extension for the exemption period under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) by the Department of Commerce and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) of the United States. As detailed in a Federal Register Notice, this extension pushes the deadline for comparability findings for commercial fishing operations exporting fish and fish products to the U.S. to December 31, 2025.

According to Press Information Department, this extension is a major revision to the regulations implementing the import provisions of the MMPA, which originally provided a five-year exemption period for foreign nations to develop regulatory programs comparable to U.S. standards. This initial exemption, set to end on December 31, 2023, has now been extended. The NMFS, responsible for evaluating the regulatory programs of each nation, recognizes the complexity involved in assessing the incidental and intentional mortality and serious injury of marine mammals in fisheries exporting to the U.S. The Department of Commerce and NMFS have deemed additional time necessary for fair and consistent comparability determinations across harvesting nations. This extension not only reflects Pakistan’s commitment to aligning its fishing practices with international standards but also sets a benchmark for sustainable marine resource management globally.