Saving Seafood

Young’s win in Alaska caps long US election night for seafood industry

November 7, 2018 — It wasn’t expected to be so close.

Until roughly a month ago, most pundits expected Alaska Republican Don Young — the longest-serving member of the House of Representatives, a colorful, 85-year-old personality who has an office decorated with wild game trophies, has been known to wield a walrus penis bone in order to make a point, and is also one of the commercial seafood industry’s biggest champions — to handily defeat his Democratic opponent and retain his seat, as usual, on Nov. 6.

Then, a few days before the election, it wasn’t such a given, as polls showed Young’s 53-year-old Democratic challenger, Alyse Galvin, winning by a percentage point.

In the end, Young kept his job, apparently winning a 45th term with roughly 54% of the vote, though more votes remain to be counted.

“We got more votes this time than we got before, and everybody had me down,” he reportedly told the Associated Press in the early morning hours, after Galvin gave her concession speech.

“I feel real good about our campaign, and we were able to prove that Alaskans appreciate what I’ve been able to do. I’m going to have a good two years ahead of us,” he added.

Follow the examples set by Frank and Kennedy

Young wasn’t the only congressional race of consequence to the commercial fishing industry in the 2018 election.

Representative Bill Keating, the Massachusetts Democrat whose 9th district includes New Bedford, home of the US’ most valuable commercial fishing port, is the projected winner over GOP challenger Peter Tedeschi, having secured 61.3% of the vote with 43% of the precincts reporting.

Keating, who outraised Tedeschi by about $1.2 million to $800,000 in his campaign, is one of the Democrats that Bob Vanasse, executive director of Saving Seafood, hopes will continue to represent commercial seafood harvesters in the new Congress.

“Many of our coastal communities are represented by Democrats and they have been in the minority,” said Vanasse, whose group represents pro-commercial fishing interests. “We are hopeful that they will follow the examples of such members of Congress as Barney Frank and Ted Kennedy who demonstrated unequivocally that one can be a strong Democrat and a strong liberal and also stand up for the working families in their fishing communities.”

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

Reps. Bishop, Westerman Probe Earthjustice’s Ties to Japan

October 2, 2018 — The following was released by the House Committee on Natural Resources:

Today, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) sent a letter to Earthjustice President Abigail Dillen, requesting information regarding Earthjustice’s relationship with the Japanese government.

“Foreign members of the anti-base coalition represented by Earthjustice appear to have already engaged in extensive political activity within the United States, including lobbying government officials and holding media events designed to influence public opinion. During a visit to San Francisco, a foreign delegation met with representatives of a U.S. Senator and a U.S. House Representative. This delegation also traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with lawmakers, as well as, the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission, the Advisory Council on Historic Foreign members of the anti-base coalition represented by Earthjustice appear to have already engaged in extensive political activity within the United States, including lobbying government officials and holding media events designed to influence public opinion.

“During a visit to San Francisco, a foreign delegation met with representatives of a U.S. Senator and a U.S. House Representative. This delegation also traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with lawmakers, as well as, the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and unspecified “other groups.” Beyond serving as the coalition’s attorney, Earthjustice has directly participated in the publicity campaign condemning the base relocation such as by sending open letters to the President of the United States and Japanese Prime Minister.

“The Committee is concerned that your organization’s political activities within the United States in opposition to the relocation of MCAS Futenma and the continued U.S. military presence in Okinawa may require compliance with the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).”

Click here to read the full letter.

Rep. Bishop Statement on Department of the Interior’s Proposed ESA Changes

July 20, 2018 — The following was released by the House Committee on Natural Resources:

Today, House Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) issued the following statement in response to the Department of the Interior (DOI) releasing three proposed rules to modernize the Endangered Species Act:

“It’s no secret that modernizing the Endangered Species Act is long overdue. DOI’s proposed rules incorporate public input, innovative science and best practices to improve efficiency and certainty for federal agencies and the public. I commend Secretary Zinke and Deputy Secretary Bernhardt for their excellent leadership on this issue and look forward to working with my colleagues to enshrine these actions into law.”

Background:

DOI’s proposed rules focus on Sections four and seven of the Endangered Species Act, and would address improved consultation processes, changes to critical habitat designations, and issues within the criteria for listing and delisting species. They also incorporate public input and best practices to improve reliability, regulatory efficiency, and environmental stewardship.

Federal fisheries law could see changes

July 5, 2018 — The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote on a bill this week that has pitted sport-fishing interests against environmentalists.

It’s called the Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act, or H.R. 200. Also referred to as the Modern Fish Act, a vote on the bill was delayed about a week ago.

Its author, Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, says the measure would update and improve the Magnuson-Stevens Act, the primary law that guides federal fisheries regulators.

Young and supporters of his bill contend contend federal regulations, improper science and poor management decisions have hampered anglers’ access to U.S. fisheries.

“America’s fisheries are governed by an outdated regulatory scheme and inflexible decrees imposed by distant bureaucrats,” House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop, R-Utah, said after the panel advanced the measure in December. “Fishermen and biologists on the ground should be partners in the formation of management plans, not powerless onlookers.”

Read the full story at the Daily Comet

House Passes Bipartisan Bill to Protect Endangered Fish Species in Pacific Northwest

June 27, 2018 — The following was released by the House Committee on Natural Resources:

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 2083, the Endangered Salmon and Fisheries Predation Prevention Act, with a bipartisan vote of 288 Members, including 68 Democrats. Introduced by Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-Wash.), this bipartisan bill provides states and tribes the necessary tools to humanely manage sea lions that have migrated outside their historic range and pose an imminent threat to fish species listed under the Endangered Species Act.

“The habitual Washington D.C. knee-jerk defense of the status quo is harming endangered species instead of protecting them. The fact of the matter is that the existing regulations are leading to the decline in endangered salmon in the Pacific Northwest, a key source of ecological vibrancy in the region. This bipartisan bill corrects the problem by giving states and tribes the tools to humanely manage sea lions and prevent further destruction of endangered fish and the region’s economy.  I appreciate Rep. Beutler’s hard work on this legislation. It is surprising that certain Democrats, including the Ranking Member of the Committee, voted against saving endangered species and empowering tribes to exercise their treaty rights,” Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) stated.

“With today’s passage of my bipartisan bill to improve the survival of endangered salmon and steelhead, we’re taking a giant step forward in restoring an ecosystem sorely out of balance. The sea lion predation problem on the Columbia River will not go away without intervention from local and tribal managers and I’m pleased that working with House Natural Resources committee, we’re now able to give these officials the tools they need to remove the most problematic sea lions and protect our native fish runs,” Rep. Beutler said.

“Salmon are an important part of the culture, identity, and the economy of the people and tribes of the Pacific Northwest. It is one of the reasons why we’ve, as a region, put so much time, energy, and resources into protecting and recovering these iconic fish. Our bill will provide the states and tribal members the flexibility they need to protect these endangered fish and manage the threat posed by sea lion predation. I’m very pleased to have the support of so many of my colleagues in the House in tackling this issue in a bipartisan, thoughtful way. I want to thank Rep. Herrera Beutler and our states, tribes, and local communities for all of the hard work everyone has put in over several years now on this legislation and on working towards solutions to save our salmon,” Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.) stated.

Stakeholder support for the legislative proposal includes:

“After witnessing the alarming increase in sea lion predation on salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, and lamprey in the Columbia and Willamette rivers in recent years, we believe that it is incumbent upon Congress to provide the Northwest’s state and tribal fish and wildlife agencies more effective options for protecting our fish and fisheries from these aggressive predators. Failure to do so risks the extinction of some of our most precious and important fish species, including at-risk populations of spring Chinook salmon. Thank you for taking the initiative to introduce this legislation and raise the visibility of this increasingly serious issue.” – Henry Lorenzen, chair of the Northwest Power and Conservation Center

“On behalf of the hundreds of hard working commercial fishermen we represent, we write to request your SUPPORT for H.R. 2083, the Endangered Salmon and Fisheries Predation Prevention Act. This bill would allow state and tribal wildlife managers to apply for a permit to humanely euthanize individual marine mammals in the Columbia River that are known to prey on endangered salmon as they line up at fish ladders attempting to return to their natal streams to spawn. This bill provides an immediate, surgical solution to a significant problem in a highly impacted western river, the Columbia.” – Noah Oppenheim, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fisherman’s Associations

“None of us can ever forget what happened at Ballard Locks in Seattle, starting in the mid- 1980s. Sea lions ate so many winter run steelhead heading through the locks to Lake Washington that the run of fish is no longer viable. At the time, the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife was practicing all manner of nonlethal management actions of the sea lions–to no effect… We must protect our iconic salmon and steelhead and we would be deeply grateful for your acknowledgement that the issue of pinniped predation in the Columbia river must be addressed legislatively. We cannot thank you enough for your support on this issue.” – Northwest Sport Fishing Industry Association on behalf of over 100 recreational fishing groups including the American Sport Fishing Association

“As directors of the co-managing agencies charged with conserving fish and wildlife in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, we are writing to express our support for HR 2083, the Endangered Salmon and Fisheries Predation Prevention Act… Passage of this legislation is critical to ensuring we can manage the ever-increasing issue of predation on sturgeon, lamprey, and Endangered Species Act (ESA)-listed salmon and steelhead in the Columbia Basin.” – joint letter from the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Idaho State Department of Fish and Game, and Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission

“This situation continues to expand supporters of this legislation among diverse interests in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. Our joint support represents that healthy salmon and steelhead runs are critical to the future of the Columbia River treaty tribes and utilities. This bill would give fisheries managers greater tools to appropriately reduce predation of these endangered fish.” – joint letter from Scott Corwin, executive director of the Public Power Council and Jaime Pinkham, executive director of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission.

East and West Coast NCFC Members: ‘H.R. 200 Will Create Flexibility Without Compromising Conservation’

June 25, 2018 — WASHINGTON — Today, East and West Coast members of Saving Seafood’s National Coalition for Fishing Communities (NCFC) submitted a letter to Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy in support of H.R. 200, the Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act, which would update the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

The letter, which was also sent to Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Emeritus Don Young, and other top Congressional officials, states that H.R. 200 will “create flexibility without compromising conservation.”

“We want a Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA) that allows for both sustainable fisheries management, and the long-term preservation of our nation’s fishing communities,” the groups wrote. “We firmly believe that Congress can meet these goals by allowing for more flexibility in management, eliminating arbitrary rebuilding timelines, and adding other reforms that better take into account the complex challenges facing commercial fishermen.”

The letter does not include support from the NCFC’s Florida, Gulf of Mexico, and South Atlantic members, which supported the legislation from the beginning, but withdrew their support due to a late change to the Manager’s Amendment that would negatively impact their region. The NCFC’s East and West Coast members continue to support the bill on its overall merits, but share the concerns of Gulf and South Atlantic fishermen over this late alteration.

Organizations affiliated with the NCFC do not accept money from ENGOs, and represent the authentic views of the U.S. commercial fishing industry.

The letter signers represent the American Scallop Association, Atlantic Red Crab Company, Atlantic Capes Fisheries, BASE Seafood, California Wetfish Producers Association, Cape Seafood, Garden State Seafood Association, Inlet Seafood, Long Island Commercial Fishing Association, Lund’s Fisheries, North Carolina Fisheries Association, Rhode Island Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance, Seafreeze Ltd., Town Dock, West Coast Seafood Processors Association, and Western Fishboat Owners Association.

Read the full letter here

 

Magnuson-Stevens update up for floor vote next week

June 22, 2018 — A bill that would update the Magnuson Stevens Act (MSA) — changing the US rules around annual catch limits (ACLs) and stock-rebuilding programs — is set to take a major step toward final passage next week.

The US House of Representatives’ Rules Committee has scheduled a discussion about procedures, meaning the Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act (HR 200) is headed for a vote by the full lower chamber. The vote could happen as soon as Tuesday, though a date has not yet been picked, a House staffer told Undercurrent News.

The bill, introduced by Alaska representative Don Young, a Republican, was passed by the House Committee on Natural Resources by a 23-17 vote in December and now has 11 cosponsors, including two Democrats, Texas representatives Gene Green and Marc Veasey.

Natural Resources Committee chairman Rob Bishop, a Utah Republican, had described the measure as one of his top two priorities.

“America’s fisheries are governed by an outdated regulatory scheme and inflexible decrees imposed by distant bureaucrats,” Bishop said after the December vote. “Fishermen and biologists on the ground should be partners in the formation of management plans, not powerless onlookers. This bill provides flexibility so we can better meet local needs, expand economic activity and conserve ecosystems.”

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

House lawmakers step up probe on green groups’ international work

June 20, 2018 — U.S. Republican lawmakers on Wednesday stepped up their scrutiny of environmental groups’ work with foreign countries, requesting that the Center for Biological Diversity turn in a list of documents detailing their work with Japanese officials.

It was the third action that Representatives Rob Bishop and Bruce Westerman have taken this month to put a spotlight on foreign governments’ relationship with green groups, who they allege can be used to influence U.S. policy or national security.

Bishop heads the House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee and Westerman chairs the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.

“The Committee on Natural Resources is continuing its oversight of the potential manipulation of tax-exempt 501(c) organizations by foreign entities to influence U.S. environmental and natural resources policy to the detriment of our national interests,” they said in a letter to the Center for Biological Diversity.

Earlier this month they wrote to the head of the Natural Resources Defense Council, Rhea Suh, asking for details about the group’s work with China on climate change and air quality issues.

Last week, the lawmakers sent a letter to Defense Secretary James Mattis asking him to provide information about environmental litigation against the military by U.S.-based green groups and its negative impact on national security.

Read the full story at Reuters

Rep. Rob Bishop Statement on President Trump’s Executive Order on Ocean Policy

June 20, 2018 — The following was released by the House Committee on Natural Resources:

House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah), today issued the following statement in reaction to President Trump’s executive order promoting a healthy ocean economy and engagement with marine, science, and technology industries. The action reverses the previous administration’s overreach of the nation’s ocean policy.

“Today’s announcement of President Trump repealing and replacing the bureaucratic, overreaching policy created under the previous administration puts our country’s ocean policy back on the right track. Over the past 10 years, the Committee has held dozens of hearings on heavy-handed Obama-era policies and the negative impacts they have caused on both the nation’s oceans and agricultural industries. Earlier this month, the Committee heard from Americans whose livelihoods depend on a healthy ocean economy and the prior administration’s ocean policy was one of their main challenges. President Trump’s action will help the health of our oceans and ensure local communities impacted by ocean policy have a seat at the table.”

Visit the House Committee on Natural Resources’ website here

Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance Members Engage with Lawmakers, Represent Gulf in Washington

June 15, 2018 — WASHINGTON — The following was released by the Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance:   

Members of the Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance, representing Gulf fishermen, seafood dealers, and restaurants, travelled to Washington last Wednesday to participate in a roundtable hosted by the House Committee on Natural Resources. While in Washington, Alliance members also represented Gulf Coast seafood by participating in the 43rd Annual NOAA Fish Fry as the main event of Capitol Hill Ocean Week.

The round-table discussion was led by Natural Resources Committee Chairman, Rob Bishop (R-Utah), and addressed legislation that impedes economic growth and development along working waterfronts.

“Working waterfronts and our nation’s vast ocean resources are essential to coastal communities, generating billions of dollars each year,” read a statement issued by Chairman Bishop on the meeting. “We heard from real people whose livelihoods depend on a healthy ocean economy and their message was clear: without a rational regulatory framework, responsible economic growth and success is at risk.”

Participants also discussed legislation aimed at easing the pressure of unnecessary regulation, most notably the Strengthening Coastal Communities Act of 2018 introduced by Rep. Neal Dunn, (R-Fla.).

“What the Gulf Coast needs is fair, equitable management of key species,” said GCSA founding member and Gulf Coast restauranteur, Dewey Destin. “Sustainable management is paramount to the survival of communities along the Gulf Coast, and we were able to express that while in Washington.”

 

At the NOAA Fish Fry, Alliance members drew awareness to Gulf-specific issues — like the management of Gulf red snapper. They also had the opportunity to communicate those issues to high-ranking government officials. Members spoke with Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, and cooked Gulf red snapper and oysters alongside President Trump’s nominee to head NOAA, Barry Myers.

Alliance members that travelled to Washington include: Dewey and Parker Destin of the Dewey Destin Restaurant Group, David Krebs, President of Ariel Seafoods, and Greg Abrams, Owner of Greg Abrams Seafood.

Learn more about the GCSA  by visiting their site here.