Saving Seafood

Rep. Huffman’s First MSA Listening Sessions Highlight Successes, Challenges in Fisheries Management

October 10, 2019 — SEAFOOD NEWS — As promised, House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife Chairman Jared Huffman, D-Calif., completed two days of round-table listening sessions in California about the current state of federal fisheries policy and the challenges that must be addressed for future management success.

Rep. Huffman heard from a diverse array of marine resource stakeholders on such topics as climate change, modernizing and improving our data collection systems, improving the fisheries disaster relief system, protecting habitats, and equitable access to marine resources, according to a Marine Fish Conservation Network press release.

Huffman plans to hold a series of roundtable discussions throughout the United States to assist in his development of a Magnuson-Stevens reauthorization bill.

“The Magnuson-Stevens Act has guided us in managing our ocean’s resources for decades – and we have all benefited from our longstanding laws for managing fisheries resources,” Huffman said on his Twitter feed. “But as we are met with new challenges to keeping fisheries healthy and productive, it’s important we listen to feedback on improving how we manage them.”

Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, and Huffman have supported Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act reauthorization bills in the past. Young introduced HR 3697, the Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act in July, about the same time Huffman announced he planned to hold listening sessions around the country before he introduced a new bill.

“Conditions are changing and we have a chance to fine tune the Magnuson-Stevens Act – and that’s what this tour is all about,” Huffman Tweeted.

“Chairman Huffman has shown great leadership in launching this national dialogue for marine resource policy development. By listening to a range of stakeholders from our working waterfronts and coastal communities all across the country, this process will better inform and result in a comprehensive and forward-looking reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act,” Robert C. Vandermark, executive director of the Marine Fish Conservation Network, said in a press release. “Participants in the first two listening sessions affirmed that the Magnuson-Stevens Act is working. Many speakers encouraged Congress to build on that success to meet current challenges and those that are emerging in the future.

“The Network looks forward to continuing to work with Chairman Huffman and Congress to sustain the benefits of our existing marine resource policy and to capitalize on the opportunity to enhance the Magnuson-Stevens Act. In the next reauthorization bill, lawmakers must support and strengthen catch accounting and data management for all sectors, ensure healthy ocean ecosystems and environments, promote and prioritize community-based commercial and recreational fishing interests, and manage fisheries for abundance through science-based conservation measures,” Vandermark added.

This story was originally published on SeafoodNews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.

Latest stab at Magnuson-Stevens reauthorization excludes stickiest provision

July 15, 2019 — The Magnuson-Stevens (MSA) reauthorization bill that Alaska Republican Don Young and New Jersey Democrat Jeff Van Drew introduced last week in the US House of Representatives may have a higher mountain to climb in the 116th Congress than it did in the 115th, but it’ll be doing the hike with at least one major weight off its back.

The Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act (H.R. 3697)  does not contain controversial language that would assert that MSA is the top federal statutory authority over the management of the fisheries, giving it power over the Antiquities Act, National Marine Sanctuaries Act, the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act, confirms a review of the bill by Undercurrent News with the help of sources.

That was the language originally contained in HR 200, the bill introduced by Young in January 2017. Following much consternation, especially by ocean conservation groups, the Alaska lawmaker put forth an amendment to have it stricken before receiving a final 222- 93 vote to approve the legislation in July 2018.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

Van Drew co-sponsors fisheries bill

July 12, 2019 — Congressman Jeff Van Drew, D-2nd, joined Alaskan Congressman Don Young, a Republican, to introduce a bill  reauthorizing the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery and Conservation Management Act on Thursday.

But the bill would make changes to the law that some environmentalists fear may result in taking more fish than is sustainable.

Among other things, the reauthorization would change how fishery councils determine fishery stock rebuilding timeframes, giving the public a greater role in the development of science and fishery management plans.

The fisheries legislation was first written by Young in 1975, according to Van Drew’s office, and was last reauthorized in 2006.

In a statement, Van Drew said H.R. 3697 “ensures that we have healthy fisheries, keep anglers in the water and keep fishermen fishing.”

Read the full story at the Press of Atlantic City

Congressman Jeff Van Drew Fights for Jersey Fishermen, Introduces Bipartisan Magnuson-Stevens Act Reauthorization

July 11, 2019 — The following was released by the Office of Congressman Jeff Van Drew (D-NJ):

Today, Congressman Jeff Van Drew (D-NJ) and Congressman Don Young (R-AK) introduced the H.R. 3697, the Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act. This bipartisan legislation reauthorizes the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery and Conservation Management Act – landmark fisheries management and conservation legislation first written by Congressman Young in 1975. The Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) was last reauthorized in 2006.

Congressman Van Drew said, “Fisheries have long been the lifeblood of the South Jersey economy and culture. Our marine resources support the largest commercial and recreational fisheries in the Atlantic Coast, contributing more than $2.5 billion very year to our state’s economy. The Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act ensures that we have healthy fisheries, keep anglers in the water and keep fishermen fishing.”

“Alaska’s seafood industry is one of the primary drivers of our state economy, and for over forty years, the Magnuson-Stevens Act has allowed our fishermen, processors, and coastal communities to thrive,” said Congressman Young. “In 1976, I was proud to fight for our Nation’s fishermen alongside my dear friend Rep. Gerry Studds (D-MA) as we first drafted this bipartisan legislation, and in the years since, I have been proud to continue to partner with my Democratic colleagues to keep our fisheries healthy. As the nature of our ecosystem and fishing industry changes, we must ensure our laws are updated to keep pace in an evolving world. I am pleased to work across the aisle with Congressman Jeff Van Drew (D-NJ), industry leaders, and stakeholders in Alaska and throughout the country to update this important law. Future generations must have access to our ocean’s renewable resources. Simply put, sustainability is not a partisan issue – I have always valued having bipartisan support for this critical legislation and have incorporated input from diverse groups and interests into this bill. Our reauthorization takes important steps to protect one of our most important renewable resources, and ensures that generations of fishermen to come can earn a living by putting sustainable seafood on the tables of families across the country. I will be working diligently to ensure that our bipartisan MSA reauthorization crosses the finish line and is ultimately signed into law.”

According to Wayne Reichle, President of Lund’s Fisheries in Cape May “the NJ commercial fishing industry is grateful for the leadership and bipartisan efforts of Congressman Van Drew and for his commitment to productive fisheries and a prosperous industry achieved through quality science and sound management.”

“The Garden State Seafood Association has been advocating for MSA reform since 2009. We sincerely hope that Congressman VanDrew will receive the support he deserves from all of the national recreational and commercial fishing groups,” said Greg DiDomenico, Executive Director of the Garden State Seafood Association.

“Mr. Young and Mr. Van Drew are well versed on the current Magnuson-Stevens bill and how it penalizes fisherman while stocks are healthy. Thanks to both of these great fishery issue leaders for taking on the challenge of pragmatic Magnuson reform,” said Jim Donofrio, Executive Director of the Recreational Fishing Alliance.

This legislation tailor’s federal fishery management actions to give Regional Fishery Management Councils the proper tools and flexibility to manage their fisheries effectively. The bill specifically:

• Affords flexibility by allowing Councils to base fishery stock rebuilding timeframes on science rather than the one-size-fits-all approach;
• Increases transparency in science and management by allowing the public to play a greater role in the development of science and Fishery Management Plans;
• Gives stakeholders a voice in the management process and requires the Secretary of Commerce to develop a plan for implementing cooperative research with fishermen and outside groups; and
• Seeks to further improve the science and data on which Councils base their management, including key provisions relating to the collection of data from the recreational saltwater fishing industry.

This bill passed the House of Representatives in the 115th Congress with bipartisan support.

Read the release at Congressman Van Drew’s website

Read about Congressman Jared Huffman’s Magnuson-Stevens listening tour here

US House approves anti-Pebble amendment; Young votes no, defends permit process

June 20, 2019 — The U.S. House voted 233-201 for an amendment that would block the Corps of Engineers from proceeding on a permit for the proposed Pebble Mine.

The sponsor, Rep. Jared Huffman, said what Pebble Limited Partnership wants to do near the headwaters of Bristol Bay is unprecedented.

“There is no other U.S. hardrock mining operation that captures and treats such a massive volume of contaminated mine water, which is harmful to fish and to public health,” Huffman said in the debate over his amendment. “We know that mines are not invincible. Things go wrong.”

Huffman, D-Calif., said an accident at the mine could devastate Bristol Bay’s valuable salmon fishery, degrade Native cultures and ruin businesses that rely on the region’s world-class sportfishing. His amendment cuts off funding to the Corps of Engineers to finish the environmental process that’s underway.

Alaska Congressman Don Young voted against the amendment – not to defend the mine, he said, but to support the permitting process.

Read the full story at Alaska Public Media

Alaska Congress members ask to tap relief funds for seafood

June 20, 2019 — Alaska’s congressional delegation said the state’s fishermen and seafood processors should be included in a federal trade war relief package, a report said.

Lawmakers asked the Trump administration to give its seafood industry access to $15 billion earmarked for farmers, The Anchorage Daily News reported Wednesday.

“Unjustified retaliatory” tariffs are eroding Alaska seafood’s market share in China, U.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan and Rep. Don Young said in a June 11 letter.

“New market growth has stopped and Alaska seafood consumption has dropped,” the legislators wrote to Perdue.

China’s 25% tariff on Alaska salmon, pollock, cod and other fish implemented in July boosts the overall tariff to 32% on some fish species, they said.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the San Francisco Chronicle

MSA reauthorization still stalled with 2018 House bill expired

June 19, 2019 — More than a decade has passed since the last reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation and Management Act was signed into law, but the latest effort has stalled in Congress.

The act, originally passed in 1974, is the nation’s landmark legislation on federal fisheries policy. In the intervening years, Congress has passed a number of reauthorizations, most recently in 2006, tweaking language and adding provisions. The House passed HR 200, sponsored by Rep. Don Young, in July 2018. However, it never progressed through the Senate and thus expired at the end of the 115th Congress.

Young’s bill included a number of new provisions — most notably, changing the word “overfished” throughout the bill to “depleted” — and allowing regional fishery management councils consider economic impacts to communities when determining catch limits.

One of the reasons Young decided to include changing the word “overfished” to “depleted” was to recognize non-fishing impacts on stock abundance, said Zack Brown, Young’s press secretary.

“The term ‘overfish’ implies that our commercial fishing industry alone has the potential to impact fish stocks and the overall health of our marine ecosystems,” Brown wrote in an email. “’Depleted’ is a far more comprehensive term that takes a broader and more evidence-based assessment of the risks to marine life.”

Read the full story at the Alaska Journal of Commerce

Alaska senator requests tariff exemption for state’s seafood

May 30, 2019 — An Alaska senator has written to the U.S. trade representative asking for Alaska fish species to be removed from a list of goods facing tariffs, a report said.

Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer last week, The Kodiak Daily Mirror reported Tuesday.

As part of an ongoing trade dispute with China, earlier this month the Trump Administration announced an increase in tariffs from 10% to 25% on $200 billion worth of products and tariffs on an additional $300 billion worth of Chinese imports.

Sullivan said he asked Lighthizer to consider removing tariffs from seafood fished in Alaska including salmon, some species of rockfish and flatfish, Pollock, and Pacific cod.

The increase in tariffs is “creating tremendous uncertainty” for the industry and “is deeply troubling, because they continue to potentially negatively impact the very Americans the administration is trying to help,” Sullivan’s letter said.

The letter was also signed by Sen Lisa Murkowski and Rep. Don Young, who are both Republicans.

Read the full story at the Associated Press

ALASKA: Rep. Young fights fish farms

May 21, 2019 — In his 46 years as Alaska’s lone representative in Congress, Don Young helped toss out foreign fishing fleets from Alaska waters with the onset of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act in 1976, and today he is intent on doing the same with offshore fish farms.

The MSA established an ‘exclusive economic zone’  for US fleets fishing from three to 200 miles from shore. Now, a bill introduced by Young aims to stop the Trump Administration’s push to use those waters for industrialized fish farming operations. The fish farms are being touted as a silver bullet to boost seafood production, provide jobs and reduce the $15 billion seafood trade deficit that comes from the nation importing over 85 percent of its seafood.

Earlier this month, Young filed the Keep Fin Fish Free Act which would stop officials from allowing fish farms in US offshore waters unless specifically authorized by Congress.

“The biggest selling power we have in Alaska is wild caught salmon and other fish products, and I don’t want that hurt,” Young said in a phone interview. “If we put in a commercial operation offshore, outside of state jurisdiction, we’d have a big problem in selling our wild Alaskan salmon.”

Young’s effort follows a push that began a year ago by over 120 aquaculture and food-related industries to have lawmakers introduce an Advancing the Quality and Understanding of American Aquaculture (AQUAA) Act, which failed to get any traction. The campaign is organized under a new trade group called  Stronger America Through Seafood and includes Cargill, Red Lobster, Pacific Seafoods and Seattle Fish Company.

Read the full story at The News Miner

New bill would limit finfish aquaculture start-ups

March 8, 2019 — Alaska Rep. Don Young (R) introduced the Keep Fin Fish Free Act in early May, a bill that that would prohibit federal agencies from authorizing commercial finfish aquaculture operations in the Federal Exclusive Economic Zone unless specifically authorized by Congress.

The seafood industry is critical to Alaska’s economy, and we must be doing all we can to protect the health and integrity of our state’s wild fish stock,” said Young. “If not properly managed, industrial aquaculture operations threaten Alaska’s unique ecosystem with non-native and genetically modified fish species.

There is only one federally regulated offshore aquaculture producer currently in operations in the United States — Catalina Sea Ranch, which produces 2 million pounds of mussels a year in a 100-acre site six miles off the coast of California. But plans to establish new marine finfish operations have been discussed off and on for years.

Read the full story at National Fisherman