Law enforcement officers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are now using a new, rapid ​polymerase chain reaction (PCR) device to help tackle illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU).

The agency says that the device helped them identify more than 27 tons of fish at the Port of Newark, New Jersey, in November 2024, that were illegally harvested and prohibited from entering the US for commercial trading.

NOAA agents are responsible for conducting inspections at ports. The agency said that it could take weeks to process a sample sent to a forensic lab, which it said can slow seafood products moving through US ports.

However, the PCR device, which researchers at Florida International University developed, can significantly cut back on the testing time it takes to identify a fish species, according to Diego Cardenosa, the lead researcher on the project.

"The idea is to make this technology available to everyone so that it becomes routine to do genetic testing in the field," said Cardenosa. "Then it becomes a regular part of evidentiary support in law enforcement. This novel technology brings a lot of value to cases that law enforcement needs to handle." 

The device is similar to the PCR tests that were developed to detect COVID-19 in humans, but can identify more than 100 species of fish, Cardenosa said.