July 26, 2021 — U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-California) announced on Monday 26 July, 2021, that he introduced a reauthorization bill for the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the federal law that oversees fishery management in the United States.
In a statement, Huffman said it’s time for a new reauthorization of the landmark legislation because of changes within the industry and the challenges it faces.
July 16, 2021 — The following was released by the Seafood Nutrition Partnership:
The National Seafood Council Task Force, with the support from the Walton Family Foundation, is announcing the launch of a scholarship program to open up more opportunities for small- and medium-sized seafood businesses to participate in this important initiative to develop a holistic consumer marketing and education campaign. To be representative of the entire seafood supply chain, the Task Force is seeking nominations for seafood business leaders whose annual company revenue is less than $20 million.
Seafood Nutrition Partnership (SNP) is incubating the National Seafood Council (NSC) and launched the National Seafood Council Task Force in April 2020 to provide advice and input into the formation of a NSC. As recommended by NOAA’s MAFAC, an industry-led, federally-supported NSC will help build a more resilient seafood sector, improve public health, and foster a healthier planet. The NSC will establish one unified voice for the seafood industry at a time when it is needed most.
May 5, 2021 — More than 60 leading seafood organizations have signed a letter to congress to support appropriations to resurrect the National Seafood Council in the United States.
The letter has been delivered to members of Congress, with a request that appropriations be made to support a national seafood marketing campaign, as recommended by NOAA’s Marine Fisheries Advisory Council (MAFAC). The initial request is for USD 25 million (EUR 20.8 million) to fund the marketing efforts, according to the Seafood Nutrition Partnership (SNP).
December 21, 2020 — Following a yearlong tour and eight listening sessions at fishing ports on every coast of the country, Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) introduced a draft reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act with Rep. Ed Case (D-Hawaii) on Friday, Dec. 18.
The Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act was enacted in 1976 and last reauthorized in 2006.
The new draft leads with consideration for the effects of climate change on wild fisheries, but also includes:
“This draft includes important and timely updates to the MSA as well as provisions to strengthen communities and support those whose lives and livelihoods depend on healthy oceans and fisheries,” said Reps. Huffman and Case in a statement on the draft. “With the growing impacts of climate change, difficulties due to the ongoing pandemic, and rapidly evolving needs in fisheries management and science, amending and reauthorizing the MSA remains a top priority. We’re looking forward to the next phase of this process and receiving constructive commentary to inform and shape the bill’s introduction next year.”
September 30, 2020 — An executive order, changes to National Environmental Policy Act measures, guidance related to overfishing and a National Seafood Council were among several issues fishery leaders from around the country discussed last week. The biannual meeting of the Council Coordination Committee was held virtually, but hosted by Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council.
Leaders from all eight regional councils had the opportunity to talk with National Marine Fisheries Service managers during the open public meeting.
September 28, 2020 — The following was released by the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council:
Leaders of the nation’s eight Regional Fishery Management Councils concluded their second biannual meeting in 2020 yesterday by videoconference. The Council Coordination Committee (CCC) meeting provides the Councils and heads of the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS, also known as NOAA Fisheries) an opportunity to discuss issues relevant to all of the Councils. Under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), each Council is authorized to develop, monitor and amend fishery management plans for federally managed fisheries in its region. Once approved by the Secretary of Commerce, these plans are implemented by NMFS. The two-day meeting was open to the public and hosted by the Western Pacific Council. Among its recommendations, the CCC addressed President Trump’s Executive Order (EO) 13921 on Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth, new National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) measures issued by the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), and NMFS coordination on a proposed National Seafood Council and on overfishing technical guidance.
EO 13921 aims to strengthen the American economy, improve the competitiveness of American industry, ensure food security, provide environmentally safe and sustainable seafood, support American workers, remove unnecessary regulatory burdens and ensure coordinated, predictable and transparent Federal actions. At its May 2020 meeting, the CCC released a preliminary joint statement, and, subsequently, each Council provided its own regional recommendations or status in the process of identifying potential changes to regulations, orders, guidance documents and other similar agency actions. The May 2020 CCC letter highlighted the consequences of marine national monuments on the Nation’s fisheries and can be found at www.fisherycouncils.org/ccc-correspondence. Yesterday, the CCC requested that NMFS continue to brief the CCC and the individual Councils on the review and implementation of their recommendations.
EO 13921 also includes actions for more effective permitting related to offshore aquaculture and long-term strategic planning to facilitate aquaculture projects. Taking this into account, the CCC yesterday recommended that its consensus statement on aquaculture be revised and considered for review at the next CCC meeting planned for May 2021.
The CCC also recommended that NMFS coordinate with the Councils to release the aquaculture programmatic environmental impact statement (EIS) for public comment. The EIS assesses the impacts of siting aquaculture facilities. The CCC further recommended that NMFS, prior to identification of Aquaculture Opportunity Areas (AOA), provide the spatially referenced data used to identify the AOAs and that the Councils be included on the AOA implementation teams.
Another initiative to support and increase the value of sustainably managed U.S. fisheries is an industry-led National Seafood Council that the NMFS Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee recently recommended. In regard to this proposal, the CCC requested that NMFS evaluate the NOAA FishWatch criteria for the purpose of serving as an equivalent to third-party certification deeming U.S. fishery products as sustainable. The CCC requested that NMFS report on the utility of FishWatch for this purpose and any possible alternatives by the May 2021 CCC meeting. Information on NOAA FishWatch can be found at www.fishwatch.gov.
Several other recommendations by the CCC focused on improving coordination between the Councils and NMFS.
The CCC moved to create a CCC subcommittee to make recommendations to NMFS in developing guidance on the new NEPA rule announced by CEQ on July 15, 2020. Such guidance could include determining and implementing the functional equivalency provision of the new rule, which would address current duplication in MSA and NEPA requirements. Signed into law in 1970, NEPA requires Federal agencies to consider the environmental effects of proposed major Federal actions significantly affecting the quality of the human environment.
The CCC requested that NMFS circulate draft reports of its National Standard 1 Technical Working Groups through the Councils with sufficient time for the Councils to consult with their Scientific and Statistical Committees and develop a response through their full Councils. The MSA contains 10 National Standards. Standard 1 says conservation and management measures must prevent overfishing while achieving, on a continuing basis, optimum yield from each fishery for the U.S. fishing industry. The issues addressed by the Working Groups were estimating fish population reference points, quota carry-over and phased-in catch limits, and alternative management approaches due to data limitations.
The CCC also requested that the NMFS Office of Sustainable Fisheries form a working group comprised of NMFS and Council staff members to determine alternative approaches to the use of annual catch limits (ACLs) to manage data limited stocks. The 2006 reauthorization of the MSA mandated that overfishing be addressed through enforceable ACLs that cannot exceed scientific recommendations. Alternative approaches identified in the CCC recommendation include those that are based on fishing mortality rates, fish lengths and fishing trip limits, among others.
For more information on the CCC meeting, go to http://www.fisherycouncils.org/ccc-meetings/september-2020-ccc-meeting.
May 27, 2020 — Just over one year ago, the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee held a panel discussing the idea of reviving a dormant portion of the U.S. Fish and Seafood Promotion Act that would establish a National Seafood Council.
The act was put in place back in 1986, with the intention of promoting domestically harvested seafood in the U.S. It established the National Seafood Council in 1987, an entity that ran for five years before it dissolved. Hampered by a low budget, the council was, in some senses, doomed from the start.
May 1, 2019 — Over 30 years ago, in 1986, the U.S. Fish and Seafood Promotion Act was enacted to do exactly what its title implies: Promote the consumption of the country’s domestically harvested seafood by establishing Seafood Marketing Councils.
Soon after U.S. Congress enacted it, a National Seafood Council was established in 1987. The council ran for five years, before desolving at the end of its funding cycle. While a few marketing efforts it pursued may have gained some attention – some still recall the “Sturgeon General” – a relatively low budget kept the council from ever realizing its potential.
Now, a panel discussion at a Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee meeting has brought the concept of a national seafood marketing effort, funded by the industry and assisted through partnerships with the federal government, back.
The concept of an industry-funded marketing service isn’t new, said Megan Davis, the MAFAC council member who has led the investigation into whether a national seafood board is feasible. Other similar food-related industries already have established marketing efforts.
“The agriculture marketing service is 100 percent supported by industry, and they have what they call 22 check-off programs,” Davis said. Those programs cover everything from dairy, to beef, to popcorn; are supported by industry funding; and have budgets of millions of dollars.