Tag Archives: House Committee on Natural Resources
Is forced labor in Indian exports affecting Louisiana shrimpers? Congress investigates
A congressional committee is investigating allegations of slave labor in the Indian shrimp industry. Such practices are among those blamed for rock-bottom shrimp prices negatively affecting Louisiana shrimpers. The House Committee on Natural Resources is investigating accusations of forced labor as well as importation of illegally obtained fish products. Additionally, the committee is looking at fraudulent reporting through the Seafood Import Monitoring Program, and the illegal use of antibiotics. The health of the American shrimp industry can often be measured by the number of landings each year. Those numbers have been on a mostly steady decline since 2001, with only five years above the downhill slope. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:10
Walmart, Aldi linked to contaminated shrimp from India
NBC News, in partnership with The Outlaw Ocean Project, has released a knee-buckling report on a shrimp factory in southern India that distributes products to stores like Walmart and Aldi here in the U.S. At the center of the story is the former manager of Choice Canning Joshua Farinella, who worked at the factory for four months and left after discovering the company had allegedly engaged in several abhorrent practices, including the use of “peeling sheds” that were offsite and unsanitary, using antibiotics with shrimp in violation of U.S. food safety law, and mistreating workers. The revelation from Farinella has the attention of Congress. In mid-March ranking Democrats in the House Committee on Natural Resources wrote a letter calling for documents related to Farinella’s claims. more, >>click to read<< 15:11
North Carolina Fisheries Association: Weekly Update for September 12, 2022
Last week the US House Committee on Natural Resources marked up a bill on the Magnuson Act reauthorization. The late Congressman from Alaska, Don Young, was pushing for a different version that most of the commercial industry supported, but after he died a different version has been pushed. Named “Sustaining America’s Fisheries for the Future Act or HR 4690, the bill is up for final committee approval on September 29th. Previous reauthorizations were more of a bi-partisan effort, but this is more partisan with Democrats supporting the bill and Republicans opposing. >click to read<. To read all the updates >click here<, for older updates listed as NCFA >click here< 15:50
Congress Questions US Environmental Group’s Ties To The Chinese Government
A House committee is asking the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), one of the U.S.’s most prominent environmental groups, about its ties to the China’s communist government. Top Republicans on the House Committee on Natural Resources sent a letter to the NRDC asking the group to clarify its two-decade relationship with the Chinese government and question whether the group should register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Lawmakers cited recent reports on China’s “vast influence machine” — through funding colleges, think tanks, advocacy groups and others — which it uses to shape its global image, including on environmental issues. >click to read< Find related material in the post comment section regarding the New England Marine Monument, 11:32
Congress Questions US Green Group’s Ties To The Chinese Government
A House committee is asking the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), one of the U.S.’s most prominent environmental groups, about its ties to China’s communist government. Top Republicans on the House Committee on Natural Resources sent a letter to the NRDC asking the group to clarify its two-decade relationship with the Chinese government and question whether the group should register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Lawmakers cited recent reports on China’s “vast influence machine” — through funding colleges, think tanks, advocacy groups and others — which it uses to shape its global image, including on environmental issues. >click to read<13:38
H.R. 200 – More than one way to manage the nation’s fisheries
For the first time ever, reauthorization of the nation’s overarching marine fishery management law will take into account concerns of America’s recreational anglers. In mid-December, the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources approved H.R. 200, a bill sponsored by Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, amending the 1976 Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. While the vast majority of the public hails progress on the bill as long overdue, an unusual coalition of environmentalists and commercial fishing entities has roundly condemned it, feverishly depicting the bill as an attack on the oceans and a threat to the future of the nation’s marine resources. >click here to read< 20:57
Bill To Let Wormers, Clammers Dig At Acadia National Park Clears House Committee
Prospects for wormers and clammers digging in the intertidal zone of Acadia National Park improved today after a U.S. House panel voted for the Acadia National Park Boundary Clarification Act. Sponsored by U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin of Maine’s 2nd District and U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine’s 1st District, the measure was unanimously approved by the House Committee on Natural Resources, a result that Poliquin described as a credit to the Mainers who spoke out in favor of clarifying protocols at Acadia. “We received input from our wormers,” he said. “There are about 900 families that depend on the flats around Acadia National Park and other parts of our coast to dig for blood and sand worms.” click here to read the story 14:00
MSA Reauthorization – Fishing rule reforms debated on Capitol Hill
How large of a role should the federal government have in regulating fishing fleets? Republicans and Democrats on the House Committee on Natural Resources discussed this question Tuesday in Washington, D.C., as part of renewed efforts to reauthorize and potentially amend a 40-year-old law that works to prevent overfishing and provide aid to fishing fleets.,, Several changes to the law have been made since 1996, such as setting annual catch limits and a 10-year timeline to rebuild overfished or depleted fish stocks. Republican committee members such as Alaska Rep. Don Young said these changes have taken a one-size-fits-all approach rather than provide more flexibility for regional fishery management councils to manage their own fisheries. click here to read the story 09:47
Watch Legislative Hearing on 4 Fishery Bills – click here for video
House committee blasts Endangered Species Act peer review process
A United States House of Representatives committee issued a scathing report Monday on the United States Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Endangered Species Act listing process, alleging numerous issues with peer review and transparency protocols. “Under the microscope: An examination of the questionable science and lack of independent peer review in Endangered Species Act listing decisions”. Read the rest here 18:01
Tomorrow at 10AM, the House Committee on Natural Resources is marking up 6 bills including legislation by Chairman Doc Hastings to reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
The legislation would renew and amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act – which governs the recreational and commercial harvest of fisheries in Federal waters – to implement common sense reforms that will promote increased flexibility and transparency, improve data collection, create jobs, and give predictability and certainty to the coastal communities that depend on stable fishing activities. Watch LIVE! Click here 18:32
National Research Council Report fuels Gloucester Fisherman Giacalone’s fishing testimony before the House Committee on Natural Resources
He had already finished preparing his testimony last week for the congressional committee on the re-authorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act when the National Research Council report on rebuilding fish stocks fell into his lap like manna from heaven. With that, Gloucester’s Vito Giacalone went to Washington with a little more credibility in his Wednesday testimony before the House Committee on Natural Resources. more@GDT 11:27
Fish on Fridays: The Dollars and Science of Fishery Management
Earlier this month the House Committee on Natural Resources formally kicked off the Magnuson reauthorization festivities with a hearing that, according to Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (R-WA), was “intended to highlight issues that could provide the basis for future hearings.” A hearing about future hearings: government efficiency at its finest. Most remarkable about this particular bit of political theater was,,
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