After eight years of working with Trinidad and Tobago to improve the country's oversight of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities, the European Union banned imports from Trinidad and Tobago starting in September 2023. Despite this, a recent Oceana analysis of import data found that seafood from Trinidad and Tobago continues to enter the U.S. market. Oceana's analysis found that: The United States has the power to sanction nations that fail to address IUU fishing through its identification and certification process under the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act. Despite this authority, the U.S. government has refused to ban the imports of seafood from nations negatively certified for their IUU fishing activity. "The United States can't claim to take illegal fishing seriously when they allow countries with bad track records to supply our seafood dinners," Oceana Campaign Director Dr. Max Valentine said.