US market re-opens to Irish salmon

Following a recent publication, Irish salmonids and common spiny lobster have had their restrictions lifted and are free to export to the US

The US has opened its market to salmonids and common spiny lobster.

New findings have eased restrictions on Irish salmon and spiny lobster exports to the US.

As of March 16, the United States’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) published a comparability finding determination, which granted Ireland positive findings for all relevant fisheries — including salmonids nei and common spiny lobster, both of which had been subject to restrictions on exports to the US from January 1 this year under provisions in the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Minister of state with responsibility for fisheries, Timmy Dooley, welcomed the publication of the updated finding: “Throughout the re-application process, I have been in communication with representatives of the relevant export and aquaculture sectors, for whom this finding is critically important.

"While there are many challenges facing the seafood sector in 2026, Irish seafood remains prestigious and highly sought after, and the United States is an important market in this regard. The fact that NOAA has found all of Ireland’s fisheries on the List of Foreign Fisheries to be comparable to US standards is welcome.” 

Minister for agriculture, Martin Heydon, outlined the importance of the report to the Irish seafood sector: “The newly published findings, valid through to December 2029, provide Ireland’s producers and exporters the certainty needed for the export of prestigious species, including Irish salmon, to the United States.” 

Ministers Heydon and Dooley acknowledged the support of the Embassy of Ireland in Washington, D.C., and the department officials who worked closely with the European Commission and with NOAA to resolve this issue at the earliest possible juncture.