July 1, 2019 — A pair of Democratic lawmakers announced on Wednesday, 26 June, that they have filed legislation to amend the Magnuson-Stevens Act to enable the federal government to expand the scope of fishery disasters to include trade wars.
In a joint release, Oregon U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and Massachusetts U.S. Representative Seth Moulton said their bills would require the Department of Commerce to consider the economic impact the Trump Administration’s embargoes, and the retaliatory ones implemented by nations like China.
According to NOAA Fisheries website, there have been 87 fishery disasters either approved or awaiting approval since 1985.
Moulton said the ongoing trade war is taking money away from hard working fishermen and making families’ grocery bills more expensive.
“The president’s lack of strategy and the uncertainty in our local economy is the perfect storm for local fishermen who are already doing more with less,” he said. “Until the president ends his misguided trade war, Congress should step up and provide some relief.”
A number of industries have been affected by the tariffs, Wyden said, including American fisheries.