Saving Seafood

US spending bills include millions for seafood-related initiatives

July 30, 2021 — Washington, D.C., U.S.A was a busy place Thursday, 29 July, as lawmakers in both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate passed large appropriation bills, both of which included seafood-related line-items and initiatives.

In the House, a package of seven spending bills passed by a 219-208 vote. The appropriations package included funding for such agencies as the Department of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency, Food and Drug Administration and Department of Interior. Among the projects in the bill is a USD 6 million (EUR 5.1 million) initiative secured by Louisiana U.S. Reps. Garret Graves (R), Steve Scalise (R), and Troy Carter (D) that would redirect dredged sediment to coastal restoration projects in the state instead of having it dumped in the Gulf of Mexico.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Illegal Fishing and Forced Labor Prevention Act unveiled by Graves

June 4, 2021 — U.S. Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA) on May 11 introduced a bipartisan bill to end foreign Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fishing, which he says is negatively impacting America’s fisheries, particularly in his home state of Louisiana. 

“Generations of Louisiana’s fishing families have made our state one of the top seafood producers in the country. The combination of great chefs and our seafood has resulted in Louisiana being a foodie destination,” Rep. Graves said. “However, hurricanes, government regulations, the pandemic and unfair competition from foreign fishing fleets are threatening the future of these hard-working men and women and threatening the sustainability of fisheries around the globe. 

“It has evolved from an environmental issue to an economic issue to a national security issue,” he said. 

The Illegal Fishing and Forced Labor Prevention Act, H.R. 3075, which Rep. Graves introduced with bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA), would establish monitoring and detection programs to identify and prevent IUU fisheries from unfair competition with United States domestic fishing boats, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Graves’ office.

Read the full story at The Ripon Advance

Congressmen file bill to combat IUU fishing, increase SIMP enforcement

May 12, 2021 —  Two U.S. congressmen have filed legislation that would expand the role of the Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP) to include all species, including shrimp.

U.S. Representatives Jared Huffman (D-California) and Garret Graves (R-Louisiana) unveiled the Illegal Fishing and Forced Labor Prevention Act on Tuesday, 11 May. The purpose of the legislation is to better connect illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing to forced labor practices in the seafood trade, and to bolster the effectiveness of SIMP.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Rep. Graves Statement on Today’s Gulf Fishery Management Council Red Snapper Decision

April 16, 2021 — The following was released by The Office of Congressman Garret Graves (R-LA):

Congressman Garret Graves (R-South Louisiana) released the following statement today following the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council’s decision to ​delay implementing calibration of Gulf State’s allocation of red snapper until January 2023:

“The Gulf Council decision today is absolutely the right one and shows that they realize that it would be virtually impossible to explain to the public how in the world you could have the assessment that just came out – the latest assessment using the best science – showing that there is triple the Red Snapper in the Gulf of Mexico, then in the same breath go and cut the amount of fishing days available to our recreational fishers. I’m glad that they listened to the message of our letter urging them toward this correct and defendable resource management decision.”

Background:

In March, Congressman Graves sent a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, the NOAA Fisheries Acting Regional Administrator, and the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council to avoid an unnecessary recalibration. Read the letter.

‘Déjà vu for Louisiana’s fisheries’: Fishermen to receive federal aid to offset COVID-19 losses

April 5, 2021 — Louisiana fishermen and others in the industry will receive $12.5 million in federal aid to help offset financial losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s part of a $255 million package approved by Congress in December as part of a larger COVID relief and budget bill.

“Our priority is to award these funds as quickly as possible using existing processes established under the CARES Act,” Paul Doremus, acting assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries, said in announcing the aid last week.

It’s the second round of money aimed at helping fishermen weather the downturn in business caused by the pandemic.

Last year, Louisiana received $14.8 million from the CARES Act, which included about $300 million to aid the fishing industry throughout the U.S.

Read the full story at Houma Today

Bipartisan Bill Will Amend MSA to Include COVID-19 as Fisheries Disaster

June 15, 2020 — While thousands of fishermen around the country struggle to get relief funds promised in the CARES Act that was passed last March, two U.S. representatives from different parts of the country introduced a bill yesterday that would resolve many of the problems.

Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA) and Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME)’s new bill would amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation Act (MSA) to allow fisheries disasters to pandemic, such as COVID-19 to be added to the list of disasters eligible for relief.

Read the full story at Seafood News

Rep. Golden introduces legislation to make disaster relief funds available to fishermen

June 11, 2020 — In a bipartisan effort, Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) and Rep. Garret Graves (R-Louisiana) on Thursday introduced legislation to make additional disaster relief available to thousands of fishermen whose businesses are harmed by a pandemic.

The legislation would amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation Act to allow fisheries disasters to be declared due to pandemic, such as COVID-19.

“For the last few months, many Maine fishermen and lobstermen have had almost nowhere to sell their catch because COVID-19 has nearly shut down demand for fresh seafood all over the world,” Golden said. “Coronavirus is just as much of a disaster for this fishery as it would be if a Category 5 hurricane hit, and our lobstering and fishing communities deserve the same relief fisheries receive for other disasters. My bipartisan bill with Congressman Graves would make pandemics an allowable reason to declare a fisheries disaster, opening up a process to direct federal relief funds to affected fishing communities. Lobstermen and fishermen need this support right now, and the need will only grow if a second outbreak of COVID-19 happens this fall.”

A fisheries disaster declaration uses an established process for appropriating and distributing federal relief funds to fisheries and fishing communities during an unexpected event that causes significant losses.

To make the disaster declaration, a governor must request a fishery’s disaster declaration from the Commerce Secretary, along with a requested amount of relief funds for their fishery. If the Commerce Secretary agrees with the disaster declaration, in most cases the fishery is awarded the amount requested by the governor.

Read the full story at News Center Maine

As some in Congress question CARES Act allocations, lawmakers begin effort to secure more aid

May 8, 2020 — On Thursday, 7 May, the Trump administration finally rolled out its plan for allocating the USD 300 million (EUR 276.6 million) in fishery relief aid earmarked in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Reaction on Capitol Hill was nearly unanimous – more money will be needed, according to lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

The U.S. Commerce Department awarded a third of the funding to two states, Alaska and Washington. Both states received USD 50 million (EUR 46.1 million) in aid. While Alaska is by far the leading seafood-producing state, producing 5.4 billion pounds of seafood worth USD 1.8 billion (EUR 1.66 billion) in 2019, some questioned the method by which the allocation was determined.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Louisiana seafood industry to receive $14.8 million in aid

May 8, 2020 — One Louisiana congressman says Louisiana has been shortchanged.

Louisiana fishermen and others in the industry will receive $14.8 million in federal aid to address economic losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said Thursday.

U.S. Rep. Garret Graves, R-Baton Rouge, said Louisiana’s share is far too small, adding that only 4.9 percent of the available money was provided to Louisiana despite being one of the top fisheries states in the nation.

“Washington State is receiving $50 million compared to Louisiana’s $14.7 million when we have a 50 percent greater value to our fisheries landings,” Graves said. “Florida receives $23 million, even though Louisiana brings in 50 percent greater value. Oregon receives over $15 million and California $18 million when we have more than double their fisheries by value and triple by poundage. They must be counting aquarium fish. You really can’t compete, unless you are cheating.”

He said he has asked the House Natural Resources Committee to request an investigation into the allocations.

Read the full story at Houma Today