NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Law Enforcement completed the second deployment of a rapid polymerase chain reaction device. It enabled officers to detect fraudulent seafood labeling at import facilities in Long Beach, California. The Long Beach trial followed the device's successful initial pilot in Newark, New Jersey.
Officers and agents using the device in Long Beach identified false labeling of imported bigeye, yellow fin, blue fin, albacore, and other tuna species. False labeling is illegal and can be used to disguise protected or lower value species, which can undermine the competitiveness of sustainably managed U.S. seafood.
“The new device is proving to be a valuable tool that helps officers examine more shipments in less time, with rapid results that also help clear the way for legal seafood to reach the market counter,” said Bryan Landry, assistant special agent in charge in the Office of Law Enforcement. The device uses the process known as DNA fingerprinting to amplify genetic fragments enough to accurately identify the species.
In the Long Beach trial, the device also identified fish filets mistakenly labeled as species protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Officers used the device to confirm the imported species was not endangered but simply mislabeled. This prevented unnecessary delays and spared the U.S. importer potential implications of an Endangered Species Act import violation.
Since the first pilot test in Newark in November 2024, Landry said, scientists have streamlined the field testing procedure and increased confidence in the results. NOAA Fisheries’ Forensic Laboratory, operated by the Northwest Fisheries Science Center, has validated several test results from these devices. It confirmed an accuracy rate of approximately 93 percent.
Researchers are also applying AI technology to help officers more accurately interpret results of the device. “We’ve invested in emerging technology to help us combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and the trafficking of these fishery products,” Landry said. “This device has made it easier to detect seafood fraud while facilitating legal and sustainable trade.”
The trials help fulfill the president’s Executive Order on Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness, which prioritizes enforcement at U.S. ports to keep illegal imports from undermining U.S. markets. The Executive Order also calls for applying improved technology to identify falsely labeled or otherwise fraudulent imports.
Motives for false labeling can include:
- Disguising species that were illegally sourced or harvested
- Disguising protected or endangered species as another species
- Evading sanctions or international treaties
- Falsely labeling lower quality species as higher quality, higher-value species
“These devices assist us in protecting U.S. consumers from seafood fraud and to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, which remains a high priority for NOAA Fisheries,” said James Binniker, Director of NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement.
Training Enforcement Officers and Agents on Using the Device
The weeklong enforcement operation was conducted at the Port of Long Beach, California and the Los Angeles International Airport in July 2025. It provided an opportunity to train our officers and agents on how to use the device while conducting inspections of seafood imports in real-time, at the port.
Officers and agents inspected, sampled, and analyzed eight imports of fresh and frozen shark and tuna meat during the pilot and training operation. The devices identified shark species listed in the Annexes of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species and revealed the false labeling of imported bigeye, yellow fin, blue fin, albacore, and other tuna species.
Data collected during these inspections will help to further our investigations to prosecute those involved in seafood fraud and illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.
During the pilot test, NOAA was joined and supported by:
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Our investigative analyst team provided operational support. Additionally, forensic science experts from NOAA Fisheries and Florida International University assisted in the operation.
