Saving Seafood

Saving Seafood Coalition Members Thank Rep. Jared Huffman for Fisheries Listening Sessions

January 8, 2020 — The following was released by the National Coalition for Fishing Communities:

Members of Saving Seafood’s National Coalition for Fishing Communities (NCFC) would like to thank Congressman Jared Huffman (D-CA) and the members of the House Natural Resources Committee for their work in 2019 hosting their series of listening sessions on the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA). NCFC members from across the country have participated in the sessions, bringing the concerns of the fishing industry directly into the MSA reauthorization process. NCFC looks forward to continue working with the Committee on MSA in 2020.

The listening sessions, which began in October with two days of hearings in Northern California and continued with additional hearings in Seattle and Baltimore, are gathering input on the state of U.S. fisheries from fishermen and other stakeholders. At each stop, fishermen have shared with the committee how current fisheries management is working—and how it can be reformed.

  • In Arcata, California, Wayne Heikkila, Executive Director of the Western Fishboat Owners Association (WFOA) discussed funding and science issues, as well as the need to distinguish between fish stocks that are actually experiencing overfishing and those that are depleted due to other causes. WFOA is a non-profit association representing albacore troll-vessel owners and supporting businesses in California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii.
  • In San Francisco, Mike Conroy, founder of West Coast Fisheries Consultants, discussed the need for better science to help fill data gaps, and how increased collaboration with the industry could help address this shortcoming.
  • In Seattle, Lori Steele, Executive Director of the West Coast Seafood Processors Association (WCSPA) told the committee about the need for additional flexibility in the Magnuson-Stevens Act, while still honoring the Act’s conservation goals. The hearing also discussed how to meet the long-term needs of fishing communities, especially in the face of climate change. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, WCSPA members are shore-based processors of fish and shellfish in Washington, Oregon and California.
  • In Baltimore, Greg DiDomenico, Executive Director of the Garden State Seafood Association (GSSA) informed the committee on key successes protecting forage species and adopting protections for critical coral habitats in the Mid-Atlantic. He raised concerns over the impacts of overly precautionary approach to the MSA has led to underfishing of fish stocks. Specifically, he noted that risk-adverse management has led to unpredictable quotas, stemming from fluctuating estimates of scientific uncertainty. GSSA represents fishing industry members who sustainably harvest seafood from New Jersey’s inshore & offshore waters.

“We have been testifying since 2009 on the unintended consequences of the 2006 reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act,” said Greg DiDomenico. “As part of these hearings we’ve provided the Chairman with 10 years worth of written testimony so that we can finally fix these issues in the next update to MSA.”

Rep. Huffman Travels Coast to Coast to Receive Input on Fisheries Policy

November 25, 2019 — The following was released by The Office of Congressman Jared Huffman (D-CA):

Over the past week, Representative Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), Chair of the Water, Oceans, and Wildlife Subcommittee, traveled across the country to complete the third and fourth stops on his nationwide listening tour on federal fisheries policy. These events are designed to engage diverse perspectives, interests, and needs of individuals who have a stake in the management of ocean and fisheries resources.

During the listening sessions in Baltimore and Seattle, Representative Huffman heard from industry stakeholders, advocates, scientists, and members of the public, who gave feedback on the current state of fisheries management under the Magnuson-Stevens Act and what they hope to see in future federal fisheries policy.

“Each stop on this tour has shown me that while there are varying issues and perspectives in each region, there are also common threads that tie us together. The Magnuson-Stevens Act has made the U.S. a leader in sustainable fisheries, but there may be room to look forward and address future challenges for coastal communities and the fishing industry,” said Rep. Huffman. “Hearing from stakeholders and experts on both coasts has been an incredibly valuable and informative endeavor and given me ideas to consider in a reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act.  I look forward to picking back up early next year.”

“By crisscrossing the country, Chairman Huffman is showing his true commitment to listening to all points-of-view about our nation’s valuable ocean resources. This fourth listening session, as with the previous three in California and Maryland, produced a thoughtful and well-rounded discussion on the future of federal fisheries policy with the people who have day-to-day investments in healthy and abundant fish populations,” said Robert C. Vandermark, executive director of the Marine Fish Conservation Network. “We continue to support Chairman Huffman’s efforts to spend time outside the DC beltway listening to the experience and knowledge of those in our coastal communities and working waterfronts.”

Rep. Huffman’s goal for this listening tour is to assess whether improvements to the Magnuson-Stevens Act are needed and if so, what they should be. More information, a public comment page, and the full press release for this tour can be found on our website here.

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (also referred to as the Magnuson-Stevens Act or MSA) is the primary law governing the management and conservation of commercial fisheries in federal waters.

The MSA was last reauthorized and extensively amended in 2006 (P.L. 109-479). Although the authorization of appropriations expired at the end of Fiscal Year 2013, the law’s requirements remain in effect and Congress has continued to appropriate funds to administer the act.

Videos from the listening sessions can be accessed through Representative Huffman’s Facebook page here.

Rep. Huffman Gets Bleak Input on Fisheries

October 11, 2019 — Long before the first refugees from the city planted cannabis seeds in the hills of Southern Humboldt, fishermen braved the seas in summer and winter to bring back crab, salmon, rockfish, lingcod and a variety of other seafood.

It was always considered a reliable — if dangerous — way to make a living.

Things have changed. A hodgepodge of rising costs, shrinking fish stocks, impossible bureaucratic requirements and crumbling on-shore infrastructure is gradually driving people out of Humboldt’s oldest occupation.

On Oct. 5, North Coast Congressman Jared Huffman held a public meeting in Arcata to discuss updating the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), the federal legislation that governs ocean fishing.

Huffman brought together a roundtable of regional and local officials, a Humboldt State University professor and a few representatives of the local fishing industry to offer feedback on the failings — and successes — of the MSA. Later in the meeting, he also took comments from the 35 or so members of the general public attending the meeting at the D Street Community Center.

Aside from some initial remarks, Huffman did not say much, noting that he was there to listen and gather feedback from the community. He will hold similar meetings on a “listening tour” of fishing communities all over the country in his role as chair of the House Subcommittee on Water, Oceans and Wildlife.

Read the full story at The North Coast Journal

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.

Federal Fisheries Management Needs Some Fine-tuning, Locals say

October 8, 2019 — SEAFOOD NEWS — Formerly depleted fisheries off the Pacific Coast have recovered in recent years, but North Coast fishermen are concerned larger vessels are more likely to get access to those fisheries than smaller and medium-sized vessels.

That was the message a panel of fishermen and fisheries experts gave to North Coast U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman at the D Street Neighborhood Center in Arcata on Saturday afternoon. Specifically, Huffman was asking for input on the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, which governs how fisheries are managed in federal water.

“This is a chance to build on the success of that framework,” Huffman said, “but also see if we can modernize it, fine-tune it and make it even better without undermining those elements that have made it so successful over the years.”

The act is designed to “prevent overfishing, rebuild overfished stocks, increase long-term economic and social benefits, use reliable data and sound science, conserve essential fish habitat, and ensure a safe and sustainable supply of seafood,” according to information on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fisheries website.

While the act has helped rebuild depleted fish stocks, local fishermen said generally larger fishing vessels have a better ability to gain access to those stocks.

“We have seen winners and losers,” said Marc Gorelnik, vice chair of the Pacific Fishery Management Council. “The large fleets fared very well under Magnuson. I think that the small fishing communities, medium-sized fishing communities, small boat fishermen have not necessarily fared that well.”

The fact that the fish stocks have been rebuilt should be a huge success story, said Harrison Ibach, president of the Humboldt Fishermen’s Marketing Association, but the unequal access to those stocks has blemished that success and needs to be addressed.

Permits for fish stocks are also going to become more complicated as climate change intensifies and fish stocks move to different areas, the experts said.

Most fisheries have gone to limited entry over the last 30 years, so a permit is required to catch a particular kind of fish in a given area, said Dave Bitts, a local fishermen.

“We may well find in the future, and they may already be finding more than us in the Atlantic … the permit I’ve got ain’t worth anything anymore because those fish aren’t here,” Bitts said. “However, there’s another type of fish here and there’s lots of them and I don’t have a permit for them.”

The act could possibly create a way to expedite shifting permits around, he said.

The act also needs to take a more holistic approach to managing fisheries, the panelists said. Right now, only the most endangered species are a focal point of protection, but the entire habitat needs to be protected, they said.

“I think there should be consideration to manage water for all species, not just those that have already had a train wreck,” said Dave Hillemeier, the Yurok Tribe’s fisheries director.

Instead of being reactive to crises, Hillemeier said the act should be more proactive in preventing stocks from depleting in the first place.

Doing that is a challenge because what happens with the fish stocks along the coast also depends on how water is managed in the Central Valley, where the needs of fish are always pitted against the needs of people, the experts said.

Huffman said it might be a good idea to require mandatory consultation with the regional councils that manage the fisheries and agencies managing water inland. Right now, the fishermen said the most they can do is send an angry letter to the relevant agencies.

“One of the things I’ve learned in those 30 years is you can win a case in court, you can pass a law,” Bitts said, “but good luck changing what happens in the Central Valley.”

Beyond the issues with managing fisheries, the panelists said it was important to revisit some definitions in the act, such as over-fishing. Sometimes a fishing stock may be depleted for reasons that have nothing to do with fishing, such as climate change.

“I think it would be greatly to our advantage as fishermen and the public’s advantage in knowing what’s going if we could change the definition from overfished to depleted,” Bitts said.

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

Huffman to start MSA town halls this weekend in California

October 4, 2019 — One of the top Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives will begin a series of roundtable discussions this weekend to help him prepare a bill that would reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-California) will hold the first roundtable on Saturday, 5 October, in Arcata, California. Two days later, he’ll hold a similar session in San Francisco. The events are free and open to the public, though registration is required.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

US congressional committee turns up heat on Western Pacific council’s handling of funds

September 5, 2019 — Four influential members of the US Congress have requested a federal investigation into the use by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (Wespac) of millions of dollars of funds intended to promote conservation, reports the Honolulu Civil Beat, an investigative journal based in Hawaii.

In a letter sent Aug. 29, Democratic representatives Raul Grijalva, chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee; Jared Huffman, chairman of the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife; Ed Case, from Hawaii; and Gregorio Sablan, an independent representative from the Northern Mariana Islands, asked Peggy Gustafson, the US Department of Commerce’s inspector general, to conduct a “comprehensive review of the Western Pacific Sustainable Fisheries Fund…and report on lapses in transparency and accountability and possible waste and abuse of government funds”.

The fund, which was initially seeded by millions of dollars in fines against foreign vessels fishing illegally in US Pacific islands, now relies on contributions made by the Hawaii Longline Association, a group that represents most of the state’s 144-vessel fleet.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

Roundtable tour leading up to Magnuson-Stevens re-authorization planned

July 16, 2019 — The Democratic lawmaker who will spearhead discussions regarding the reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act announced last week he will meet with key stakeholders later this year to discuss what should be included in the bill.

U.S. Representative Jared Huffman (D-California) announced on Wednesday, 10 July, that he will hold a series of roundtable discussions across the country beginning in the fall. Huffman, a member of the House Natural Resources Committee, serves as the chairman of its Water, Oceans, and Wildlife Subcommittee.

Magnuson-Stevens serves as the nation’s primary fisheries management bill. Since its passage in 1976, it has helped address issues that have caused overfishing in U.S. fisheries. Over the last 19 years, the law has helped rebuild more than 45 stocks.

The last time a reauthorization bill was ratified happened in 2007.

The House of Representatives approved a reauthorization bill last year. However, the Senate did not take up the measure, forcing the reauthorization process to begin anew when the new Congress took effect in January.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

REP. ROB BISHOP: It’s Time for Congress to Reform the Antiquities Act

May 3, 2019 — As the new Democratic chairman and top Republican on the House Natural Resources Committee, respectively, Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva and I recently presided over a hearing examining the status of presidentially declared national monuments under the Antiquities Act, including Utah’s Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments.

I followed-up with a letter to Chairman Grijalva with a simple invitation: Let’s write a national monuments reform bill together that does exactly what he said he wants during that panel.

While the hearing initially focused on two Utah monuments, it didn’t take long for the whole room to realize we were confronting a deeper problem. Republicans, Democrats, and local stakeholders have all expressed frustration with the Antiquities Act. As written, the act incentivizes presidents of both major political parties to sidestep transparent democratic processes by mandating unilateral land use decisions. Consequently, voices from all sides of the political spectrum have been silenced and ignored even as generational decisions about their futures were being made behind closed White House doors.

The Antiquities Act is the law by which presidents have designated monuments ranging from Devil’s Tower in Wyoming to Arizona’s Casa Grande Ruins and Montezuma Castle. Rightly, some monuments enjoy overwhelming local support prior to designation. Due to a lack of a Congressional review requirement for  presidential declarations, designations under the Antiquities Act can be promulgated quickly to protect against imminent threats.

That feature of speedy monument designation can also be a curse. This fact has been amply, painfully demonstrated to communities across my state. In the last few decades, presidents have outright abused the Antiquities Act in Utah. Regardless of how you feel about the areas that were designated, the fact that Presidents Clinton and Obama came in the dead of night — without any input from state or local elected officials! — and locked up millions of acres of land is outrageous. Local representation opposed the massive monuments. The livelihoods of ranchers and access for recreators was scuttled overnight, and the traditions of families with generations of responsible land stewardship were suddenly upended without due process.

Read the full opinion piece at The Daily Caller

Rep. Dan Webster Brings Back Sustainable Shark and Fisheries Trade Act

February 7, 2019 — U.S. Rep. Dan Webster, R-Fla., has brought back his proposal for the U.S. Commerce Department to increase regulation on the international shark trade.

Towards the end of last month, Webster brought back his “Sustainable Shark and Fisheries Trade Act” proposal which is being backed by cosponsors from both sides of the aisle including fellow Florida Republican U.S. Reps. Gus Bilirakis, Matt Gaetz and Ted Yoho.

“As a Floridian and member of the House Natural Resources Committee, responsible oversight of our nation’s wildlife, environment, and fishing industry is one of my priorities,” Webster said when he unveiled the proposal. “American fishermen have made sacrifices to rebuild and sustain our shark populations. In the United States, we hold high standards for conservation and fishery management. ”

The bill “would require any country that seeks to export shark, ray, and skate to the US to first demonstrate it has a system of science-based management to prevent overfishing and a prohibition on the practice of shark finning” and ensure other nations “must also receive certification from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that its fisheries management policies are on par with US practices” and  modifies the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act.

“By holding imports to the same standards that domestic fisheries already meet, this bipartisan legislation levels the playing field for our fishermen and helps maintain vibrant and economically-viable fishing communities, both on U.S. shores and around the world,” Webster’s office insisted.

Read the full story at the Sunshine State News