Saving Seafood

Western Pacific Council calls on Trump to ease fishing restrictions in the Pacific marine monuments

May 12, 2020 — A regional fishery management council sent a letter to U.S. President Donald Trump late last week urging his administration to ease limitations on fishing in the nation’s Pacific marine monuments, saying the restrictions hinder American tuna fishing.

The letter, penned by Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council Chair Archie Taotasi Soliari and Executive Director Kitty Simonds, was dated Friday, 8 May, a day after the administration released details of how it would allocate the USD 300 million in funding to the seafood industry from the CARES Act. At the same time, White House officials held a call with fishery management officials to discuss other aspects of Trump’s executive order that outlined improving the country’s competitiveness as a seafood producer, a key economic policy for the administration since it came into office more than three years ago.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Trump orders removal of barriers to aquaculture

May 11, 2020 — The Trump Administration has issued an executive order Thursday to remove “outdated and unnecessarily burdensome” aquaculture regulations to promote the competitiveness of American seafood.

The Executive Order on Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth acknowledged aquaculture’s contribution to the U.S. economy and in enhancing the quality of American lives.

It calls for the expansion of sustainable U.S. seafood production through more efficient and predictable aquaculture permitting.

“This demonstrates a clear understanding that safe, authorized aquaculture can have a lasting impact that is not only beneficial to the viability of wild capture stocks but to the economic sustainability of the entire seafood community,” said John Connelly, president of the National Fisheries Institute.

Read the full story at Aquaculture North America

Lund’s Fisheries Supports President Trump’s Order Promoting American Seafood

May 8, 2020 — The following was released by Lund’s Fisheries:

Jeff Reichle, Chairman of Lund’s Fisheries, Inc., issued the following statement on President Trump’s “Executive Order on Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth”:

Lund’s Fisheries has been in business since 1954; I myself have been with the company since 1974. This is the first time in my memory that a sitting President has taken the time and initiative to recognize the hard work and value of this country’s fishing industry and its importance in feeding Americans.

Fishermen are notoriously independent people, seldom looking for help, and most often overlooked by their government. It is refreshing, to say the least, that the President has chosen to recognize our industry in this time of national crisis.

We at Lund’s Fisheries are extremely grateful to this Administration for this recognition and Executive Order. With 5 processing companies employing over 300 people in New Jersey, Massachusetts, and California, we are ready to continue to meet the country’s needs during this crisis.

We are especially grateful to hear that the Administration will help us with trade barriers and inequities in our international import/export business. Far too often trade barriers have been put in place by foreign nations against our products with no pushback from the U.S. government. We cannot thank the President enough for his tough negotiations on these matters, and look forward to working with his Administration on these issues following his welcomed announcement yesterday.

We further look forward to working with the Administration to ensure that the commercial wild fishing industry is able to stay healthy and vibrant without being impeded by the installation of wind turbines on historical fishing grounds. We hope that the opening sentence in section 1, which states “America needs a vibrant and competitive seafood industry to create and sustain American jobs, put safe and healthy food on American tables, and contribute to the American economy” will include safeguarding this historic industry by ensuring that our ability to produce seafood into the future will not be lost in a rush to produce subsidized wind energy at any cost.

GSSA Thanks White House for Supporting American Fishermen

May 8, 2020 — The following was released by the Garden State Seafood Association:

Yesterday, President Trump signed an Executive Order to increase domestic seafood production, address unfair seafood trade practices, and ensure that the seafood industry is able to meet the country’s current food needs. The Garden State Seafood Association (GSSA) thanks the Administration for recognizing our nation’s vibrant fishing industry and keeping it competitive.

“We would like to thank President Trump for promoting American seafood, and the hard work that our fishermen do to provide the nation with essential protein,” said Scot Mackey, Director of Government Affairs for the Garden State Seafood Association. “The best seafood is American-made, from sustainably harvested fish and scallops to locally farmed oysters. This order will help the industry weather the current crisis and come back stronger.”

GSSA is grateful for efforts to create a more level international playing field for seafood. The U.S. has some of the strictest and most sustainable seafood management in the world. Combined with illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing worldwide, and trade barriers from other countries, U.S. fishermen are often at an unfair disadvantage. This order takes steps to combat IUU fishing, and address unfair international trade practices.

The Administration also recognizes the tremendous potential of U.S. aquaculture, which here in New Jersey means our growing farmed oyster industry. The Administration’s order looks to build on that potential by addressing current restrictions in the aquaculture permitting process. By streamlining this process and eliminating unnecessary barriers, the Administration is setting up U.S. aquaculture for a promising future.

About the Garden State Seafood Association

The Garden State Seafood Association (GSSA) advocates on behalf of New Jersey’s fishermen and fishing communities. Through closely monitoring regulatory developments, actively participating in the management process, and sharing the latest fisheries news and information with our members, GSSA holds our leaders accountable to the concerns and priorities of New Jersey’s hard working, historic fishing industry.

American seafood industry may see jobs boost thanks to White House regulation

May 8, 2020 — America’s seafood industry just got a vote of confidence from the White House after President Trump issued an Executive Order aimed at creating jobs for the nation’s fishermen.

“It will create tens of thousands of jobs in our seafood industry and also keep millions of Americans more healthy and safe,” said White House Trade Advisor Peter Navarro during an appearance on FOX Business’ ‘The Evening Edit’ while noting, “It will unleash our commercial fisheries in a way that is good for America” he added.

U.S. fish farms produce $1.5 billion a year, compared with $140 billion in China, according to the White House.

Navarro, along with Joe Grogan, outgoing domestic policy advisor to Trump who drove the E.O., penned an Opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal, highlighting America’s chance to capitalize on our vast oceans surrounding the nation.

Read the full story at FOX Business

Seafood industry applauds Trump’s new executive order, while some groups cry foul

May 8, 2020 — An executive order issued on 7 April by U.S. President Donald Trump containing a number of new mandates intended to enhance the competitiveness of the U.S. seafood has drawn widespread praise from the industry, and has been derided by some environmentalists and fishing groups.

The new executive order contains an array of recommendations for wild-caught fisheries, and an extensive set of new tasks for multiple government administrations intended to expand the nation’s aquaculture. The new changes are devoted to removing barriers to permitting, improving regulatory transparency, and establishing new “Aquaculture Opportunity Areas.”

Read the full story at Seafood Source

JOE GROGAN & PETER NAVARRO: Trump Lifts the Net off American Fishing

May 8, 2020 — With the global food supply chain under stress, President Trump’s executive order Thursday will help reduce pain in the grocery checkout line—and also strengthen U.S. food production against foreign competition.

The order creates an administrative trade task force to find new markets for American seafood products and identify unfair trade barriers. It also supports industry research, removes unnecessary regulations on commercial fishermen, and streamlines the aquaculture permitting process.

These reforms will allow producers to make better use of the country’s ample resources. The U.S. has one of the world’s largest exclusive economic zones, a vast area of ocean in which we have sovereign rights over natural resources. But more than 85% of seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported. U.S. fish farms produce only $1.5 billion a year, compared with $140 billion in China. Much foreign seafood comes from fish farms in countries that often fail to meet international standards on health, labor and the environment. Many of China’s catfish and tilapia swim in shallow pens with low oxygen levels, polluted by their own waste along with improperly used antibiotics and fungicides. Farmed fish in South America routinely suffer from infectious anemia, algae blooms and sea lice due to poor biosecurity protocols.

The Trump administration wants to protect American consumers from those unhealthy practices, and American aquaculture is the gold standard. Consider the sleek, silvery and delicious Kanpachi—raised in the deep blue waters off Hawaii’s Big Island, inside high-tech submerged pens developed through American innovation. Hawaii’s cutting-edge ocean farms are subject to the highest environmental standards: The fish are raised in pens with healthy oxygen levels and fed sustainable feed. If American aquaculture is allowed to grow to its full potential, it can help revive domestic fish processing, halting the long-running trend of plants moving to China.

President Trump’s executive order creates a task force to enact policies that encourage fair and reciprocal trade for America’s seafood industry, and strengthens enforcement of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. The order affirms that the U.S. will continue to hold imported seafood to the same food-safety requirements as domestic products. And it removes many burdensome regulations on commercial fishermen.

Read the full opinion at The Wall Street Journal

President Donald J. Trump Is Working to Secure America’s Seafood Supply Chain and Bring Jobs Home

May 8, 2020 — The following was released by The White House:

SECURING OUR SEAFOOD SUPPLY CHAIN: President Donald J. Trump is taking action to secure our Nation’s food supply chain by supporting American seafood production.

  • Today, President Trump is signing an Executive Order to increase America’s competitiveness in the seafood industry and protect our seafood supply chain.
  • This order will instruct agencies to expand sustainable seafood production in the United States, including:
    • Furthering more efficient and predictable aquaculture permitting processes;
    • Accelerating regulatory reform to maximize commercial fishing; and
    • Upholding common-sense restrictions on seafood imports that do not meet American standards.
  • The President’s order will help solidify our Nation’s food security, protect American jobs in the seafood industry, and create new jobs in the United States.
  • President Trump is also announcing the availability of $300 million to support fishermen and related businesses hurt by the coronavirus.
EXPANDING AMERICA’S SEAFOOD INDUSTRY: President Trump’s action will expand America’s ability to fully utilize our vast ocean resources.
  • It is critical that America take steps to strengthen our seafood supply chain and bring our Nation’s seafood supply chain back home.
  • While America has among the most extensive ocean resources in the world, our Nation ranks 17th in aquaculture production and imports roughly 85% of the seafood consumed domestically.
    • China’s aquaculture industry is producing 100 times more seafood by weight than the United States aquaculture industry.
  • Burdensome over-regulations and red tape on the aquaculture industry are stifling innovation and production.
  • Under current regulations, small aquaculture facilities are forced to navigate an unnecessarily complex permitting process involving multiple Federal agencies.
PROTECTING AMERICA’S FOOD SUPPLY: This action builds on President Trump’s commitment to ensure that Americans have a sound and plentiful food supply chain.
  • President Trump has taken action again and again to support America’s farmers, ranchers, and food suppliers.
  • The President has worked tirelessly to expand markets for American agricultural goods through enacting fair and reciprocal trade deals like the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement and implementing tough tariffs.
    • The President has authorized billions in support to help farmers and ranchers affected by retaliatory tariffs.
  • President Trump has fought for our farmers at the World Trade Organization, winning multiple disputes.

Statement From Glenn Cooke Commending President Donald Trump On His Executive Order That Will Improve US Aquaculture Competitiveness and Economic Growth

May 8, 2020 — The following was released by Glenn Cooke, CEO of Cooke Seafood:

Glenn Cooke, CEO of the Cooke family of companies, provided the following statement after President Donald Trump signed the first ever Executive Order that includes provisions to improve U.S. aquaculture competitiveness and economic growth on Thursday.

“I am very pleased President Trump has recognized that domestic farmed production of aquaculture seafood is vital to help correct the severe trade imbalance and strengthen local food security. This should be viewed as a call to State and local governments that the country is in dire need of domestically produced seafood protein and that they should find ways to support, promote, and expand this essential food sector as other countries have.

As a family company, with marine fish farming operations in Maine and Washington and shellfish farming in North Carolina, and wild fisheries in other states including Virginia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alaska, we are extremely proud of the hard work and dedication that our people put in every day to produce healthy seafood meals for families across the USA. Cooke Aquaculture USA in Maine was very proud to have been chosen as the supplier of sustainably farmed Atlantic salmon for the President’s 2017 inauguration. Our strong operations have shown that aquaculture presents a tremendous opportunity to create thousands of jobs and build vibrant working waterfronts co-existing with traditional fisheries in rural coastal communities.

President Trump and his Executive Agencies are to be commended for their leadership to address the regulatory challenges with establishing seafood farms by revising the National Aquaculture Development Plan and implementing a Nationwide Permit authorizing finfish, seaweed or multi-trophic culture in federal marine waters.”

Read the full release here

Fisheries Survival Fund Applauds White House for Executive Order Supporting Domestic Seafood

May 8, 2020 — The following was released by the Fisheries Survival Fund:

Yesterday, President Trump signed an Executive Order aimed at promoting domestic seafood production and the U.S. seafood industry amid the current COVID-19 crisis. The Fisheries Survival Fund (FSF) is grateful to the Administration for its support of our nation’s fishing communities, and looks forward to working with the Administration in lifting unnecessary burdens to American fishermen.

“We appreciate that the President recognizes how important the seafood industry is in supplying our nation with essential products, especially during the current crisis,” said Drew Minkiewicz, an attorney for the Fisheries Survival Fund. “These measures will go a long way to ensure that our industry is able to meet the country’s needs, and will be able to recover once the crisis is over.”

One of the key measures in the order is to sustainably increase domestic seafood production through regulatory reform. FSF has long supported efforts to revise and streamline unnecessary regulations, an effort that is more important now than ever. FSF looks forward to working with NOAA and the Department of Commerce on implementing this directive, especially in opening up fishing grounds on the northern edge of Georges Bank. These grounds have been closed for nearly 30 years, at the cost of billions of dollars in lost revenue. The closures have long been unnecessary for the conservation of the species in the area, making them a prime candidate for reform under this order.

FSF also urges the Administration to reconsider current policies in place for offshore wind development, specifically the policy of accepting unsolicited bids for wind farms. This policy is poorly thought out, and is an unnecessary threat to the seafood industry. Eliminating it and similar policies will help meet the Administration’s goal of promoting local seafood and securing our food supply chain.