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Huffman Announces Next Stop on Fisheries Listening Tour

November 8, 2019 — The following was released by The Office of Congressman Jared Huffman (D-CA):

Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) Chair of the House Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife, announced today that he will be hosting the next stop on his listening tour on Friday, November 15, at 1:30 p.m. in Baltimore, Maryland. This is the third stop on a nationwide listening tour on federal fisheries management designed to engage diverse perspectives, interests, and needs of individuals who have a stake in the management of federal ocean and fisheries resources. The event is free and open to the public and press.

Members of the press interested in attending should submit their RSVP to Mary Hurrell at mary.hurrell@mail.house.gov.

WHO: Congressman Jared Huffman, fisheries and oceans experts

WHAT: Discussion on federal fisheries management

WHEN: Friday, November 15, 2019 @ 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. EST

WHERE: National Aquarium Animal Care and Rescue Center

901 E Fayette Street, Baltimore, MD

Lou and Nancy Grasmick Classroom

Please click here for a map of the location.

Representative Huffman’s panel discussion with experts and stakeholders will include a detailed, technical examination of current and future challenges in federal fisheries management and will explore potential solutions. Guests will be able to submit written questions during the roundtable and provide public comments at its conclusion. Members of the public can register for the event and submit questions ahead of time:

Link for the public to register for the Baltimore event

The ideas Huffman receives from this listening tour, and from other stakeholder outreach that is already underway, will inform his introduction of a reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the primary law governing fisheries management in U.S. federal waters.

More detail on Huffman’s listening tour, which was first announced in July, can be found here.

Rep. Huffman files bill to protect, bolster salmon rivers

October 18, 2019 — A California congressman on Thursday, 17 October filed a bill in Congress that he claims would restore and protect the country’s salmon rivers and watersheds.

By drafting H.R. 4723, dubbed the Salmon Focused Investments in Sustainable Habitats (Salmon FISH) Act, U.S. Representative Jared Huffman in a statement said he wants to make the rivers that support salmon populations more resilient. The Democrat’s bill would call on NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to designate core abundance areas as “Salmon Conservation Areas” and the purest ones as “Salmon Strongholds.”

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Climate Change Impacts on Fisheries Gains Traction in U.S. House of Representatives

October 17, 2019 — SEAFOOD NEWS — Freshman Democrat Rep. Joe Cunningham of South Carolina’s coastal First District introduced the Climate-Ready Fisheries Act of 2019 yesterday, a bill addressing the impacts of climate change on the area’s fisheries. Joe Cunningham sits on the Congressional Resources Committee.

The bipartisan legislation is cosponsored by Reps. Brian Mast (R-FL), Francis Rooney (R-FL), and Jared Huffman (D-CA).

Huffman, Chair of the Water, Oceans, and Wildlife Subcommittee, is conducting a nationwide listening tour this fall and winter to see whether improvements to the Magnuson-Stevens Act are needed and if so, what they should be. Climate change impacts on fisheries and potential budget increases to management agencies is one topic for discussion.

Cunningham’s bill directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to look at what actions have already been taken by fishery managers, identify information gaps, provide recommendations on how to better adapt fishery management, and prepare fishing industries and communities for the impacts of climate change. It also directs the GAO to make recommendations to Congress on how to enhance the nation’s science and management systems to better address climate change.

“Lowcountry fishermen are some of the hardest working people in South Carolina, and climate change has put their way of life under direct attack. The Climate-Ready Fisheries Act gives our fishermen the tools they need to continue fishing sustainably for generations to come” said Rep. Joe Cunningham. “Ultimately, well-managed fisheries are resilient fisheries. I’m proud to introduce this bipartisan legislation to help us learn what is working, what is not, and how we can be the best possible stewards of our natural resources.”

“Healthy waterways are critical to our environment and economy—supporting the businesses in our communities that rely on fishing and tourism to thrive,” Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) said. “This bill will go a long way to protect our local fisheries and promote healthier ecosystems for generations to come.”

The situation in South Carolina’s Low Country (the southern two-thirds of the state’s coastline) may be a microcosm of impacts on fisheries from climate change around the country.

Last Monday Cunningham toured Shem Creek, homeport for many of South Carolina’s commercial fishermen. Over the last three decades, the fleet has shrunk from 70 vessels to only “a handful.”

Among the reasons for the decline are warming waters, increased hurricane activity, a significant decline in shrimp species, as well as other species that may have moved north due to warming waters.

While visiting the area, Cunningham noted, “What I learned today is back in August, the surface water temperatures here in the harbor were like 89 degrees,” he said. “The average in the past has been like 83 degrees. So a six-degree difference is huge.”

As the economy changed, some residents started businesses like an oyster hatchery to develop spawn and create new oyster reefs.

Others, like clam farmer Dave Belanger, worry about runoff from the increasing development in the Charleston area. He said there is no monitoring of herbicides and pesticides used by coastal-area property owners that result in polluted waters of the fishing grounds.

“There’s no long-term natural resource planning,” Belanger told Roll Call’s Lindsey McPherson in an article published yesterday.

“Climate change is affecting our nation’s fisheries and our adjacent oceans’ ecosystems. The Climate-Ready Fisheries Act is an important first step in assuring that we have the information we need so we are prepared to adapt our fisheries to mitigate these impacts,” said Rep. Francis Rooney (R-FL).

The bill has support from Ocean Conservancy, National Audubon Society, Earthjustice, Oceana, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Conservation Voters of South Carolina, Coastal Conservation League, and the Marine Fish Conservation Network.

“We already know that climate change is taking a toll on our fisheries. The big question we now face is what we can do to ensure healthy fish populations and fishing communities for generations to come, despite a changing ocean. The Climate-Ready Fisheries Act will help ensure our fisheries and fishing communities are prepared to deal with climate change by positioning Congress to address barriers and develop solutions to these growing challenges. Ocean Conservancy applauds Congressman Cunningham’s leadership on this important issue,” said Meredith Moore, Ocean Conservancy’s Fish Conservation Program Director.

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

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

Rep. Huffman Announces First Fisheries Roundtable Events in Arcata and San Francisco, CA

October 2, 2019 — The following was released by The Office of Congressman Jared Huffman (D-CA):

Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), Chair of the House Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife, announced today that his first two fisheries roundtable discussions will be held in Northern California; the first on Saturday, October 5th, at 2:30 p.m. in Arcata, California, and the second on Monday, October 7th, at 1:00 p.m. in San Francisco. These are the initial stops on a nationwide listening tour on federal fisheries management designed to engage diverse perspectives, interests, and needs of individuals who have a stake in management of federal ocean and fisheries resources. The events are both free and open to the public and press.

Arcata roundtable:
WHO: Congressman Jared Huffman, fisheries and oceans experts
WHAT: Roundtable discussion on federal fisheries management
WHEN: October 5, 2019, 2:30-4:30 PM
WHERE: D Street Community Center, 1301 D Street, Arcata, CA 95521

San Francisco roundtable:
WHO: Congressman Jared Huffman, fisheries and oceans experts
WHAT: Roundtable discussion on federal fisheries management
WHEN: October 7, 2019, 1:00-3:00 PM
WHERE: Aquarium of the Bay – Farallon room, Pier 39 Embarcadero & Beach St, San Francisco CA 94133

Each of Huffman’s roundtable panel discussions with experts and stakeholders will include a detailed, technical examination of current and future challenges in federal fisheries management and will explore potential solutions. Guests will be able to submit written questions during the roundtable and provide public comments at its conclusion. Members of the public can register for the events and submit questions ahead of time:

More detail on Huffman’s listening tour, which was first announced in July, can be found here.

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