Saving Seafood

Trump directs aid to Maine lobster industry crushed by tariffs

June 26, 2020 — President Trump ordered the Department of Agriculture to offer a lifeline to the struggling Maine lobster industry that has been hit hard by his trade policies with China.

Trump’s trade war with China devastated farmers in the Midwest, but it also evaporated Maine’s chief export market as escalating tariffs led China to place a 35 percent markup on lobster.

The late Wednesday order from Trump all but directs the Agriculture Department to extend a $30 billion farm bailout program to Maine’s commercial fishers. The program previously sent cash to corn, soybean, pig and other farmers, primarily in the Midwest, who Trump has courted in his reelection effort.

The move follows years of lobbying by Maine’s congressional delegation, which cited “severe financial difficulties due to unfair retaliatory tariffs” in a joint statement expressing support for the government aid.

“Better late than never,” Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) tweeted.

“We made it clear last year in a letter comparing our lobster industry to the farmers in the Midwest seeing relief in this tariff fallout. The first line was ‘Why not lobsters?’” King added in a statement to The Hill, noting that lobsters were one of the first items hit with Chinese tariffs.

Read the full story at The Hill

BEN MARTENS: Federal COVID response a missed opportunity to help Maine fishermen

June 26, 2020 — President Trump’s recent roundtable meeting with fishermen in Bangor was a unique opportunity to bring national attention to COVID-19’s catastrophic impact on fishing communities here in Maine and around the country. Most Americans are unaware of the devastation the crisis has inflicted on fishing economies, which support 40,000 jobs in Maine and 1.5 million jobs in the United States. The president’s visit put a spotlight on Maine’s fishermen for a brief moment during this time of crisis.

What resulted from this meeting was the opening of a national marine monument south of Cape Cod to additional commercial fishing, and the creation of a yet-to-be-defined fisheries task force. While significant, this action does not address the underlying economic challenge facing Maine fishermen because of the pandemic – the collapse of domestic and international demand for seafood.

Roughly three-quarters of the seafood consumed in the U.S. is eaten at restaurants. With restaurants closed or severely constrained, prices and demand have dropped dramatically – close to 70 percent for many New England species. As families struggled to find healthy, affordable food, fishermen were being told not to go fishing. Seafood is one of the healthiest food choices you can make for your mind, body and the environment. More access to heathy food should be our shared priority. Unfortunately, the pandemic has illuminated the cracks in our national food system, meaning that now is the time to invest in comprehensive solutions to protect local, sustainable seafood for our nation.

Read the full story at the Portland Press Herald

Florida pushes for offshore aquaculture fast-track from Trump’s executive order

June 26, 2020 — Florida officials in June requested that the U.S. Commerce Department designate federal waters off the state’s coast as a marine aquaculture opportunity area, a move that would open and jumpstart the state’s offshore aquaculture industry.

The term “aquaculture opportunity area” comes from the Trump Administration’s 7 May executive order titled “Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth,” which laid out a variety of strategic plan to promote the growth of the U.S. seafood sector, including aquaculture. The executive order charged federal agencies with identifying “at least two geographic areas containing locations suitable for commercial aquaculture.”

Read the full story at Seafood Source

President Trump tweets about Maine lobster, orders financial help for industry

June 25, 2020 — President Donald Trump is directing his administration to explore options to financially help the Maine lobster industry.

According to the Presidential Memo, the Secretary of Agriculture is to “consider including the United States lobster industry and other segments of the United States seafood industry in any future assistance provided to mitigate the effects of China’s retaliatory trade practices.”

The directive is similar to trade offsets to help Midwestern farmers hurt by trade policies, which have added up to approximately $25 billion.

President Trump said retaliatory Chinese tariffs have hit the Maine lobster industry particularly hard.

Read the full story at WGME

Trump signs executive order to support US lobster industry

June 25, 2020 — U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a new order intended to help the country’s lobster industry, stemming from a 5 June press conference in Maine.

The new order will task the United States Trade Representative (USTR) with keeping close track of the progress made by China under the most recent, “Phase One” of a trade deal signed by President Trump. That deal was beneficial for the U.S. lobster sector, which experienced a massive downturn in exports to China in the wake of retaliatory tariffs that the country implemented in July, 2018.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

NFI: Food workers should receive COVID-19 vaccine early on

June 25, 2020 — The National Fisheries Institute and other food industry groups are urging U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration to prioritize food, agriculture, and retail workers for receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

“Scientists have advised that COVID-19 will remain a continuous public health concern, so the importance of a vaccine cannot be overstated. A vaccine targeting COVID-19 is likely the only way to generate immunity across a population,” NFI, FMI – the Food Industry Association, the National Restaurant Association, and other groups said in a letter to Trump.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

White House Signs New Memorandum on Trade Relief for Lobster Fishery

June 25, 2020 — The following was released by the White House:

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1.  Policy.  On May 22, 2018, the United States Trade Representative (Trade Representative) concluded an investigation under section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2411), finding that China had engaged in multiple unreasonable and discriminatory trade practices that had harmed American intellectual property rights, innovation, and technology development.  In response to China’s unfair and unreasonable conduct, the United States imposed tariffs on several categories of Chinese products.

Rather than reform its practices, China responded to the Trade Representative’s findings with unjust retaliatory tariffs designed strategically to inflict financial harm on America’s farmers, fishermen, and workers in other industries.

My Administration has forcefully addressed China’s unfair assault on American producers.  Among other measures, I directed the Secretary of Agriculture to deliver a comprehensive trade aid package to American farmers.  He did so, providing more than 14 billion dollars in direct payments to American farmers under the authority of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Charter Act.

China’s retaliatory assault on the American lobster industry was particularly aggressive.  On July 6, 2018, China imposed retaliatory 25 percent tariffs on American lobster.  On September 1, 2019, China raised those retaliatory tariffs to 35 percent.  On February 14, 2020, China reduced its punitive lobster tariffs to 30 percent.  When those retaliatory tariffs are added to China’s prevailing Most Favored Nation tariffs of 5 percent and 7 percent, depending on the species of lobster, American lobsters currently face tariffs of either 35 percent or 37 percent.

On January 15, 2020, I signed the landmark Economic and Trade Agreement Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the People’s Republic of China (“Phase One Agreement”).  The Phase One Agreement requires important structural reforms from China related to issues such as intellectual property theft, forced technology transfer, and exchange rate manipulation.  As part of the Phase One Agreement, China made binding commitments to purchase large quantities of United States manufactured goods, agricultural products, and services.  Seafood, including lobsters, is one of the agricultural products China agreed to purchase.  To help fulfill this purchase commitment, China has made available exclusions from its retaliatory tariffs for imports of United States lobster.

At this time, it remains unclear to what extent China’s exclusions from its retaliatory tariffs will result in increased exports of United States lobster.  Such exports are particularly important because exports to the European Union, another large market for United States lobster, appear to have been significantly and negatively affected by the recent implementation of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the European Union.

The lobster industry is a crown jewel of America’s seafood industry.  From 2015 to 2018, American lobster was the most valuable single seafood species harvested in the United States, with Maine accounting for approximately 80 percent of that value each year.  It is, therefore, the policy of my Administration to mitigate the effects of unfair retaliatory trade practices on this important industry.

Sec. 2.  Protecting the United States Lobster Industry.  (a)  The Secretary of Agriculture shall, within 60 days of the date of this memorandum, consider taking appropriate action, to the extent permitted by applicable law, to provide assistance to fishermen and producers in the United States lobster industry that continue to be harmed by China’s retaliatory tariffs.

(b)  The Secretary of Agriculture shall also consider including, to the extent permitted by applicable law, the United States lobster industry and other segments of the United States seafood industry in any future assistance provided to mitigate the effects of China’s retaliatory trade practices.

Sec. 3.  Reciprocal Tariffs.  (a)  The Trade Representative shall, beginning August 15, 2020, submit a monthly report to the President detailing:

(i)   China’s progress in meeting its purchase commitments under the Phase One Agreement with respect to United States seafood; and

(ii)  the value of monthly Maine and other United States lobster exports to China, beginning with China’s imports for June 2020.

(b)  In the event that the Trade Representative determines that China is not meeting its purchase commitments under the Phase One Agreement with respect to seafood, the Trade Representative shall consider, to the extent permitted by law, taking all appropriate action to impose reciprocal retaliatory tariffs on seafood exports from China.

Sec. 4.  Addressing Negative Effects of the CETA between Canada and the European Union on the United States Lobster Industry.  Pursuant to section 1332(g) of title 19, United States Code, and section 5-301 of Executive Order 12661 of December 27, 1988 (Implementing the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 and Related International Trade Matters), the Trade Representative shall request that the United States International Trade Commission (USITC) provide a report that details any negative effects of the CETA on the United States lobster industry.  The Trade Representative shall submit such report to the President.  The Trade Representative, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture and Secretary of Commerce, shall recommend appropriate actions that may be taken to minimize or eliminate any negative effects identified in the USITC report.

Sec. 5.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b)  This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c)  This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

Fact checking Trump’s claims about the Maine lobster industry

June 25, 2020 — In another tweet rife with falsehoods, President Trump on Wednesday alleged that his predecessor, Barack Obama, “destroyed the lobster and fishing industry in Maine.”

He added: “Now it’s back, bigger and better than anyone ever thought possible. Enjoy your ‘lobstering’ and fishing! Make lots of money!”

The truth is that in 2016, the last year of Obama’s presidency, Maine had a record lobster catch. Not that Obama had anything to do with it, but during his eight years in office, Maine’s lobster catch nearly doubled in landings and value.

The catch rose from less than 70 million pounds in 2008 to more than 132 million pounds in 2016, which remains the record. In the same period, the value of the catch surged from $245 million to a record $540 million.

Read the full story at The Boston Globe

Fishermen Hope for Change as the Seafood Industry Faces a Crisis

June 25, 2020 — Earlier this month, President Trump traveled to Maine to announce plans to reopen a vast marine preserve, created by President Obama in 2016, to commercial fishing. While ostensibly aimed at helping New England fishermen catch more fish and expand their businesses, Maine fishermen—and fishermen across the United States—are grappling with a sobering reality that the president’s controversial plan won’t solve: They can’t sell their fish.

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, only half of the fish harvested by Maine fishermen in May sold, and prices averaged 18 percent less in comparison to May the prior year. Landings were also down by more than half, at 44,495 pounds, because many fishermen aren’t going out to sea while the restaurants that are their main markets remain shuttered.

“It’s been a difficult slog over the past couple of months,” says Ben Martens, executive director of Maine Coast Fisherman’s Association, emotion rising in his voice. “It’s just really scary right now, with the marketplace and COVID, and thinking about how we protect the fishing heritage.”

For Martens, the president’s visit was a missed opportunity to address the real problems facing Maine fishermen. Very few, he says, even fished in the Northeast Canyon and Seamounts stretch of deep ocean before Obama designated it a marine monument to protect its fragile ecosystem and the sea turtles, mammals, and other life it supports.

Read the full story at Civil Eats

White House pledges support for lobster industry

June 24, 2020 — President Donald Trump today signed an executive order to support the lobster industry, following conversations that started with the roundtable discussion in Maine on June 5.

“It’s a promise made, promise delivered,” said John Horstman, director of media affairs and special assistant to the president.

Though details are still developing, the executive order is expected to give the lobster industry the same assistance farmers received as a result of the retaliatory tariffs coming from China.

Read the full story at National Fisherman