Saving Seafood

Marco Rubio Brings Back the Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act

April 30, 2021 — U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., has brought back his proposal for the U.S. Commerce Department to increase regulation on the international shark trade.

Rubio has been pushing the “Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act” since 2018 and he reintroduced it this week.

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.

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., is co-sponsoring the bill. So are U.S. Sens. Mike Braun, R-Ind., and Bill Cassidy, R-La.

Read the full story at Florida Daily

Rubio, Colleagues Reintroduce Bill to Promote U.S. Shark Conservation as a Global Model of Sustainability

April 29, 2021 — The following was released by The Office of Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.):

U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Mike Braun (R-IN) reintroduced the Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act, legislation that recognizes the sustainable and economically valuable fishing practices of U.S. shark fishermen and promotes U.S. standards for shark conservation and humane harvest abroad. The bill was first introduced by Rubio in April 2018 and was approved by the Senate Commerce Committee in May 2018.

“Sharks play an important role in maintaining the health of ocean ecosystems and also benefit coastal economies via fishing, trade, and tourism,” Rubio said. “U.S. shark populations are growing as a result of years of sustainable management under our shark conservation and humane harvesting standards. This legislation would extend these successful standards to our global trade partners, helping to protect international shark populations and preserving the livelihoods of commercial fishermen in Florida, and other coastal states, who continue to fish in accordance with strong federal and state fisheries management laws.”

“Louisiana shark fishermen should not have to compete against those doing it illegally. This legislation protects these businesses,” Cassidy said. 

“In Florida, we know how important holding bad actors accountable is to responsible fisheries management and protecting Florida’s wildlife,” Scott said. “The Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act will help to address the global problem of shark finning and protect Florida’s commercial fishermen who abide by current state and federal laws.”

“Conserving our fish and wildlife populations for future generations of fishermen and hunters is so important, and I’m proud to support Senator Rubio’s bill that supports the sustainable and humane management of shark populations and promotes U.S. standards for shark conservation to our trading partners,” Braun said.

Specifically, the Sustainable Shark Fisheries and Trade Act would

  • Create a shark conservation and trade fairness certification for nations wishing to import shark products to the U.S.;
  • Prohibit the importation of shark products originating from any nation without a certification, and the possession of such products in the U.S. with limited exceptions for law enforcement, subsistence harvest, education, conservation, or scientific research;
  • Update the High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium Protection Act to reflect the U.S. commitment to promote international agreements that encourage the adoption of shark conservation and management measures and measures to prevent shark finning that are consistent with the International Plan of Action for Conservation and Management of Sharks;
  • Direct the Secretary of Commerce to include rays and skates into the seafood traceability program to ensure that shark products are not smuggled into the U.S. falsely labeled as rays and skates, two closely related groups.

Floating fish farms in Gulf of Mexico could get green light with Congressional bill

September 30, 2020 — A new bill in Congress would open the Gulf of Mexico and other federal waters to offshore fish farming, a controversial idea backed by President Donald Trump’s administration but opposed by environmental groups and elements of the seafood industry that depend on wild fisheries.

Introduced Thursday and sponsored by U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Mississippi, Marco Rubio, R-Florida, and Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, the Advancing the Quality and Understanding of American Aquaculture (AQUAA) Act aims to accomplish what a recent federal court decision said was impossible unless Congress intervened.

Last month, the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans blocked federal rules that would have allowed offshore fish farming for the first time in the Gulf, considered potentially a prime area for raising high-value fish in large floating pens. The court said federal regulators lack the authority to “create an entire industry” not mentioned in the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the primary law governing fisheries since 1976.

Read the full story at NOLA.com

Senate bill would establish U.S. offshore aquaculture rules

September 28, 2020 — A bill newly introduced in the Senate would establish a federal regulatory system for offshore aquaculture, opening a pathway to large-scale fishing farming in the U.S. exclusive economic zone.

Sponsored by Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), bill S-4723 would clear the way for the Department of Commerce in its drive to create new aquaculture zones – an effort so far stymied by the federal courts.

In an Aug. 3 decision, the Fifth Court of Appeals upheld a 2018 lower court ruling that the Department of Commerce and NMFS lack legal authority to issue permits for aquaculture in the Gulf of Mexico.

In its 2-1 decision, the appeals panel found in favor of critics who argued the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management grants the agency no power to permit fish farming in federal waters.

“If anyone is to expand the 40-year-old Magnuson-Stevens Act to reach aquaculture for the first time, it must be Congress,” according to the court’s opinion.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

Florida Delegation Want Commercial Fisherman Across State Included in USDA’s Lobster Relief Program

July 27, 2020 — This week, the Florida congressional delegation, led by U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., urged U.S. Agriculture Sec. Sonny Perdue to include Florida’s commercial fishermen in the lobster relief program announced by President Donald Trump on June 24.

The program addresses harm to the United States lobster industry caused by steep tariffs imposed by the Chinese government.

Besides Rubio, other signers of the letter included U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., and U.S. Reps. Dan Webster, R-Fla., Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., Donna Shalala, D-Fla., Brian Mast, R-Fla., Francis Rooney, R-Fla., Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., Neal Dunn, R-Fla., Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, D-Fla., Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., Bill Posey, R-Fla., Darren Soto, D-Fla., Ross Spano, R-Fla., and Al Lawson, D-Fla.

Read the full story at Florida Daily

Is offshore fish farming in Florida’s future? A test project in the Gulf could supply answer

July 23, 2020 — A boat traveling southwest from Sarasota into the Gulf of Mexico for a little over two hours will reach a spot where the ocean is 130 feet deep and the sandy sea floor holds no corals, seagrass or shipwrecks.

For almost three years it’s been the proposed site for anchoring a submerged mesh cage — one about the size of 20 backyard swimming pools — to raise a fast-growing native fish called the almaco jack. A company’s small pilot project aims to show how offshore fish farming can be done responsibly with minimal environmental impacts to produce sustainable seafood. Opponents are deeply concerned that, if permitted, the project would lead to larger fish farms that spark algae blooms and compete with regional fishers.

A Trump administration executive order introduced in May could now accelerate the launch of offshore fish farms as part of its mission to boost domestic seafood production. The order calls for investigating two U.S. locations to start up commercial aquaculture, the farming of aquatic animals and plants. Florida representatives, including U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott and Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Nicole Fried, have asked for Florida’s federal waters, defined as three to 200 nautical miles from shore, to be one of those locations.

Fish farm proponents point to a growing population with growing demands for seafood that can’t be met by wild-caught fish. Over 80% of seafood eaten in the U.S. is imported, though some of that includes U.S. seafood processed elsewhere then imported back to the U.S.

“We’re essentially exporting our ecological footprint,” said Neil Sims, CEO of Ocean Era, the company applying to raise captive fish in the Gulf. “We need to figure out how to grow these fish ourselves in U.S. waters where we can have control over the environmental standards and the food safety standards.”

Read the full story at The Miami Herald

Rubio Leads Colleagues in Urging Secretary Perdue to Include Florida Fishermen in Administration’s Lobster Relief Program

July 23, 2020 — The following was released by The Office of Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL):

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) led members of the Florida congressional delegation in urging U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to include Florida’s commercial fishermen in the lobster relief program announced by President Trump on June 24, 2020. The program addresses harm to the United States lobster industry caused by steep tariffs imposed by the Chinese government. More information can be found here.

“This belligerent economic behavior by the Chinese government has the potential to significantly reduce the market share of Florida’s spiny lobster in the Asian marketplace, and could have a ripple affect across our state’s economy,” the lawmakers wrote. “We are concerned about the long-term future of Florida’s spiny lobster fishery and the ability of our fishermen to earn a living.”

Rubio was joined by Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) and Representatives Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), Donna Shalala (D-FL), Brian Mast (R-FL), Daniel Webster (R-FL), Francis Rooney (R-FL), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Neal Dunn (R-FL), Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL), Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-FL), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Bill Posey (R-FL), Darren Soto (D-FL), Ross Spano (R-FL), and Al Lawson, Jr. (D-FL).

The full text of the letter is below.

Dear Secretary Perdue:

We write to request the inclusion of Florida commercial fishermen in the lobster relief program announced by President Trump on June 24, 2020, in response to the difficulties facing the United States lobster industry due to tariff action by the Chinese government.

Florida’s vibrant lobster fishery has suffered harm by the tariffs imposed by the Chinese government. Spiny lobster is the state’s second largest commercial fishery with an average annual catch of seven million pounds and a total value of more than $45 million. Spiny lobster is renowned for its quality and freshness and is immensely popular in China during holidays and other special events. An estimated 80 percent of all spiny lobster harvested in Florida is exported to China and other Asian ports as a live product. Tariffs placed on spiny lobster by the Chinese government have greatly increased the price of Florida’s spiny lobster exports. Meanwhile, the Chinese government is reducing or eliminating tariffs on competing products from other countries and have begun importing greater numbers of spiny lobster from Australia, Brazil, and the Caribbean.

This belligerent economic behavior by the Chinese government has the potential to significantly reduce the market share of Florida’s spiny lobster in the Asian marketplace, and could have a ripple affect across our state’s economy. We are concerned about the long-term future of Florida’s spiny lobster fishery and the ability of our fishermen to earn a living.

Florida’s fishermen have been harmed by the tariffs imposed on lobster from the United States. As such, we respectfully request their inclusion in the relief program.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

US harvesters seek to fix ‘oversight’ blocking crew payroll from COVID loans

May 11, 2020 — The Seafood Harvesters of America (SHA) has written US senators Marco Rubio (a Florida Republican) and Ben Cardin (a Maryland Democrat) — the chairman and ranking member of the Small Business Committee respectively — to fix what the group believes was “an oversight” that’s now blocking fishermen from taking full advantage of the small business loans made available in the recently passed Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

In a letter sent Thursday, SHA, a group that represents 18 US fishing-related trade associations, seeks to allow “fishing businesses to include payments to fishing vessel crew members reported as fishing boat proceeds on Form 1099- MISC as eligible payroll costs under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)”.

The PPP refers to the new program that authorized up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses to pay their employees during the COVID-19 crisis.

“We believe it was an oversight that fishing vessel crewmember wages cannot be considered in the fishing business’s PPP loan application as submitted by the vessel owner or captain, and hope it can be easily fixed as [the Department of] Treasury completes their final rule for the PPP,” wrote Robert Dooley and Leigh Habegger, SHA’s president and executive director, respectively.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

Florida congressional delegation fishes for CARES Act assistance for seafood industry

April 17, 2020 — Members of Florida’s Congressional Delegation sent a letter to the U.S. Commerce Department seeking help for the fishing industry.

Sens. Marco Rubio, Rick Scott and 25 Florida members of Congress signed onto the request for aid.

“Florida’s fishing industries have experienced several crises in recent years. Impacts from Hurricanes Irma and Michael, major fish kills caused by harmful algal blooms, significant habitat loss in the Florida Reef Tract due to coral bleaching and disease, and massive seagrass die offs in many of our state’s estuaries have taken their toll,” the letter reads.

“Even for those businesses who have endured these events, the economic crisis we face today as a result of the pandemic may prove fatal without your assistance.”

All members of the state Delegation signed the letter to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross except Tallahassee Democrat Al Lawson and Dover Republican Ross Spano.

Read the full story at Florida Politics

Florida Delegation Wants Commerce Department to Quickly Distribute Stimulus Funds for Fishing Industry

April 17, 2020 — The Florida delegation on Capitol Hill is urging the U.S. Commerce Department to quickly move to distribute funds from the $2.2 trillion coronavirus stimulus enacted at the end of last month to help the fishing business.

As part of the stimulus package, $300 million was included to help fisheries and Florida’s two senators–Republican U.S. Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott–and 25 of the state’s 27 members of the U.S. House sent a letter to U.S. Commerce Sec. Wilbur Ross on the matter on Wednesday.

“Florida’s recreational and commercial fishing industries are critically important to Florida’s tourism-based economy, as well as for the state and nation’s food security and have been hit especially hard during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Rubio’s office noted.

The Florida delegation also called on Ross to work U.S. Agriculture Sec. Sonny Perdue “ to expand seafood commodity purchases for nutrition programs, take further action to guide Florida’s fishing communities to new resources such as the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and expedite consideration of the State of Florida’s pending Fisheries Disaster Declaration request related to severe red tide events which occurred between 2015 and 2019.”

Read the full story at Florida Daily