Stop Big Seafood from polluting our oceans!

During the height of the pandemic, Trump signed an Executive Order that created a seafood task force -- designed to speed up permits for industrial ocean fish farms. It also slashed critical fishery regulations that protect wild fish and their habitats.

This move only benefits large corporations and their profits, not coastal communities and local fisherfolk. We need your help to stop it.

Comments

To: Andrew Lawler
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Re: RFI Response: Interagency Seafood Trade Task Force

I am writing to share my opposition to the objectives and mandates set forth in the recent Executive Order Executive Order on Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth, including the creation of the Seafood Trade Task Force to explore new seafood export opportunities and “trade reciprocity” with other countries that have unsustainable seafood production practices.

I also oppose any move to prioritize the growth of offshore aquaculture facilities in the United States. These operations pose significant threats to the environment and public health. When based in water, these operations produce water discharge full of chemicals and heavy metals, agricultural drugs and pesticides, untreated fish waste, and excess feed. Additionally, they routinely cause catastrophic fish spills, which spread disease, risk genetic degradation, and create unnecessary competition with native fish stock. The industry also harms coastal and wild-capture fishing communities.

The current administration is continuing to place the demands of big seafood and aquaculture corporations above the need to carefully study and address the many external harms that this development would bring. With regard to the seafood trade task force, rather than exploring seafood export opportunities and “trade reciprocity” with other countries like China, it should be focusing on strengthening and protecting our domestic seafood market and access to responsibly produced American seafood. The task force should prioritize items like analyzing and remedying the inaccurate calculation of American seafood that is exported for processing and re-imported for sale. It should also explore ways to incentivize domestic processing, which would help keep domestic seafood at home, and would drastically lower the carbon footprint that seafood currently has. Finally, the task force should initiate a plan for ways to increase access to responsibly-produced American seafood for consumers and communities that need it most, including hospitals, prisons, and schools.

Finally, I object wholly to the the appointed head of this new task force, former Maine Governor Paul LePage, who has an established history of racist and controversial remarks and policies. When all hands should be on deck to address racial injustice, it is shameful to continue putting known racists in positions of power. I implore you to immediately withdraw this appointment.

Sincerely,
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