Saving Seafood

US defense bill addresses IUU fishing domestically and abroad

December 17, 2019 — The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which funds the U.S. military for the 2020 fiscal year, includes provisions to combat illicit fishing and increase transparency in the seafood industry.

The bill’s fate had been in jeopardy because of questions over whether it would curtail President Donald Trump’s authority to spend defense money on the proposed border wall. Congressional negotiators kicked those negotiations down the road, and on Wednesday, 11 December, the House overwhelmingly passed the bill; bipartisan approval is expected to push it through the Senate, too.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

United States and China reach agreement to deescalate trade war

December 13, 2019 — The United States and China announced an agreement in which China will make structural reforms to its trading policies and strengthen its intellectual property protections in exchange for a reduction of current and proposed U.S. tariffs.

The U.S. will cancel its plan to implement another round of tariff increases later this month, and will reduce its 15 percent tariffs to 7.5 percent on USD 120 billion (EUR 107.9 billion) worth of Chinese goods. It will leave in place 25 percent tariffs on an additional USD 250 billion (EUR 224.8 billion) of Chinese imports, however, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). The USTR did not identify which goods would see reduced tariffs.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Trump NOAA nominee withdraws, citing health concerns

November 21, 2019 —  Barry Myers, U.S. President Donald Trump’s nomination to lead NOAA, has withdrawn from consideration for the position, according to a report by the Washington Times.

According to the Times, Myer’s is citing health concerns as the reason for the withdrawal, saying that he had recently undergone surgery for cancer and chemotherapy and would be unable to serve the NOAA administration. He was first selected for the role in 2017, but his nomination never progressed to a full vote.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

President Trump Signs Presidential Memorandum to Explore and Map the Ocean

November 21, 2019 — The following was released by the Council on Environmental Quality:

Today, President Donald J. Trump issued a Presidential Memorandum on Ocean Mapping of the United States Exclusive Economic Zone and the Shoreline and Nearshore of Alaska. In the Presidential Memorandum, President Trump is directing Federal agencies to develop a National strategy to map the United States Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and a strategy to map the Alaskan coastline to advance our understanding of our oceans and coastlines and to promote efficient permitting related to ocean exploration activities. These actions will benefit the U.S. economy, national security, and our environment.

The Presidential Memorandum was announced following last week’s White House Summit on Partnerships in Ocean Science and Technology which was hosted by the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). The Summit brought together leaders from academia, the private sector, philanthropy, and the Federal government to identify opportunities to build partnerships that advance marine science, promote new technologies, and explore the unknown ocean. 

“With today’s Presidential Memorandum, the United States will accelerate ocean exploration and expand our knowledge of the ocean,” said Council on Environmental Quality Chairman Mary B. Neumayr. “The knowledge gained from mapping and exploring the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone will inform policies and guide actions to promote conservation, management, and balanced use of our ocean.”

“A bold new era of ocean exploration is made possible through President Trump’s actions. We can now learn and discover our oceans and coastlines better through mapping strategies and research activities in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. This step forward through partnerships on innovation and ocean technology will benefit our economy, build on national security priorities, and ensure effective conservation management,” said Dr. Kelvin Droegemeier, Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy.

“President Trump continues to safeguard our future prosperity and national security with his bold, comprehensive oceans policies,” said Joe Grogan, Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy Council. “Today’s action will improve our understanding of the rich ecological and economic resources off our shores and reduce our reliance on foreign sources for important resources.”

“Mapping U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone and nearshore waters represents a tremendous step towards realizing the full scientific and commercial potential of our oceans and coastlines, and is essential for harnessing American offshore energy resources,” said Department of Energy Under Secretary of Energy Mark W. Menezes. “Not only is more data about our ocean key to responsible offshore energy development, but reliable energy technologies are also needed to power the very instruments that collect this data. This Administration is committed to exploring new technologies that can fully harness the power of the ocean, and DOE is excited to support American innovators driving this mission.”

“In addition to the numerous economic, national security, and environmental benefits that come from a better understanding of our natural resources, exploring the mysteries of the sea can also inspire the next generation of scientists in the fields of physics, biology, geology, chemistry, math and engineering,” said retired Navy Rear Adm. Tim Gallaudet, Ph.D., Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Deputy Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

For a fact sheet on the Presidential Memorandum, click here.

President Trump signs Presidential Memorandum to Accelerate Ocean Exploration and Map the U.S. EEZ and Alaskan Shoreline and Nearshore

November 20, 2019 — The following was released by The White House:

Today, President Donald J. Trump issued a Presidential Memorandum on Ocean Mapping of the United States Exclusive Economic Zone and the Shoreline and Nearshore of Alaska. In the Presidential Memorandum, President Trump is directing Federal agencies to develop a National strategy to map the United States Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and a strategy to map the Alaskan coastline to advance our understanding of our oceans and coastlines and to promote efficient permitting related to ocean exploration activities. These actions will benefit the U.S. economy, national security, and our environment.

The Presidential Memorandum was announced following last week’s White House Summit on Partnerships in Ocean Science and Technology which was hosted by the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). The Summit brought together leaders from academia, the private sector, philanthropy, and the Federal government to identify opportunities to build partnerships that advance marine science, promote new technologies, and explore the unknown ocean. 

“With today’s Presidential Memorandum, the United States will accelerate ocean exploration and expand our knowledge of the ocean,” said Council on Environmental Quality Chairman Mary B. Neumayr. “The knowledge gained from mapping and exploring the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone will inform policies and guide actions to promote conservation, management, and balanced use of our ocean.”

“A bold new era of ocean exploration is made possible through President Trump’s actions. We can now learn and discover our oceans and coastlines better through mapping strategies and research activities in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. This step forward through partnerships on innovation and ocean technology will benefit our economy, build on national security priorities, and ensure effective conservation management,” said Dr. Kelvin Droegemeier, Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy. 

“President Trump continues to safeguard our future prosperity and national security with his bold, comprehensive oceans policies,” said Joe Grogan, Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy Council. “Today’s action will improve our understanding of the rich ecological and economic resources off our shores and reduce our reliance on foreign sources for important resources.”

“Mapping U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone and nearshore waters represents a tremendous step towards realizing the full scientific and commercial potential of our oceans and coastlines, and is essential for harnessing American offshore energy resources,” said Department of Energy Under Secretary of Energy Mark W. Menezes. “Not only is more data about our ocean key to responsible offshore energy development, but reliable energy technologies are also needed to power the very instruments that collect this data. This Administration is committed to exploring new technologies that can fully harness the power of the ocean, and DOE is excited to support American innovators driving this mission.”

“In addition to the numerous economic, national security, and environmental benefits that come from a better understanding of our natural resources, exploring the mysteries of the sea can also inspire the next generation of scientists in the fields of physics, biology, geology, chemistry, math and engineering,” said retired Navy Rear Adm. Tim Gallaudet, Ph.D., Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Deputy Administrator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

For a fact sheet on the Presidential Memorandum, click here.

Despite trade war, US seafood companies still see positives in China

October 31, 2019 — Since the start of the trade war between the United States and China over a year ago, certain sectors of the seafood industry have seen sharp drops of trade between the two countries.

The United States and China have taken turns ramping up tariffs on each other’s products, starting at 10 percent tariff rates and escalating to 25 percent duties on most products, including seafood, traded between the two countries.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Trump Sued For Failing To Protect Hawaii’s Cauliflower Coral

October 11, 2019 — The Center for Biological Diversity said Thursday that it is suing the Trump administration for failing to protect cauliflower coral around the Hawaiian Islands.

“The bushy, shallow-water coral species has been devastated by ocean warming triggered by human-caused climate change,” according to a press release.

The warming is due to a “marine heat wave … now hitting Hawaii’s coral reefs hard, and researchers predict massive coral bleaching and death.”

The coral species is estimated to have declined by 36% from 1999 to 2012, and conditions are expected to worsen.

“Cauliflower coral is like the canary in the coal mine of our warming oceans. Marine life around Hawaii will suffer without bold actions to protect coral reefs,” said Maxx Phillips, the center’s Hawaii director. “Hawaii’s coral reefs are dying and they need our help. Letting colorful corals bleach white and die indicates an ocean becoming less bountiful and biodiverse.”

Read the full story at the Honolulu Civil Beat

Court Battle Underway Over Revamped Endangered Species Rules

October 8, 2019 — A major fight is shaping up in federal court over the Trump administration’s recently issued rules that rewrite how the government implements the Endangered Species Act.

The battle was broadened on Sept. 25 when attorneys general from 17 states, the District of Columbia and New York City filed a challenge to the regulations in U.S. District Court in San Francisco.

In their lawsuit, the plaintiffs, led by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, contend that the set of three new final rules—published in the Federal Register on Aug. 27 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service— “fundamentally undermine and contradict” Endangered Species Act requirements.

Two of the regulations took effect on Sept. 26. The effective date for the third, which aims to expedite “interagency cooperation”  procedures in listing species as endangered, was extended to Oct. 28.  [View 8/12/19 ENR story on regulations here.]

Among other changes, the rules set a stricter definition of “critical habitat” needed for an endangered species to survive; end a practice of giving threatened species the same protections as endangered species; allow economic factors to be aired—though not as a decisive factor—when agencies determine whether to list a species as endangered.

Read the full story at The Engineering-News Record

The next big California vs. Trump fight is over water and endangered species

October 7, 2019 — Just how far will California Gov. Gavin Newsom go in his high-profile fight with the Trump administration over environmental protections?

The next few months will provide an answer, as Newsom is forced to take a stand on Trump rollbacks in a long-contested battleground—the Northern California  that helps supply more than half the state’s population with drinking  and fills irrigation canals on millions of acres of farmland.

The battle lines are not nearly as clearly drawn as they are on climate change or air pollution, where the state is presenting a fairly unified front against Washington. When it comes to California water, there is no unity.

Some of the state’s biggest and most powerful water agencies are eager for the  to weaken endangered species protections that have cut their delta deliveries. And they want the Newsom administration to go along.

Read the full story at PHYS.org

US to hit EU with USD 7.5 billion in tariffs; mussels, clams among seafood products affected

October 3, 2019 — The United States will impose tariffs valued at USD 7.5 billion (EUR 6.8 billion) against the European Union in what it says is a response to E.U. subsidies to aerospace firm Airbus that broke World Trade Organization rules.

The WTO approved the tariffs on 2 October, and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has said they will come into force as early as 18 October. They include 10 percent tariffs on Airbus parts and 25 percent duties on other goods, including some food products. A majority of the products on the list are luxury food products such as cheese, olives, and wine. In the category of seafood, prepared or preserved mussels, clams, cockles, razor claims, and molluscs all will be hit with 25 percent tariffs, according to a list released by the USTR.

Read the full story at Seafood Source