Tag Archives: U.S. State Department
US shuts off Mexico shrimp imports
Mexico said Friday it will try to regain U.S. certification for shrimp exports, after the country lost its registration because of inadequate protections for sea turtles. Mexico’s agriculture department said it will take corrective measures and carry out training to ensure Mexican trawl-net shrimp boats don’t sweep up sea turtles as by-catch. The Department of State said the U.S. ban coincides with the closure of Mexico’s shrimp fishing season. >click to read< 13:30
Companies Express Disappointment in Slow Progress of South Pacific Tuna Treaty Negotiations
“The
has been unable to operate at full capacity due to ongoing Treaty negotiations since August of 2015. Our Fleet was forced to cease fishing operations entirely in the first quarter of this year. Even so, we have not wavered and have been working against the clock since the U.S. announced a formal withdrawal from the existing Treaty in January. As I have stated before, a dissolution of this Treaty would be devastating to the U.S. Fleet and the tuna industry as a whole, collapsing the vessels operating under U.S. Flag, as well as the commercial operations that depend on their harvest. This has a direct effect on thousands of jobs in the Islands Nations, American Samoa and in the continental U.S. Read the story here 08:34
State Department enters trade dispute over Maine lobsters
The U.S. State Department is adding its muscle to help resolve an impending trade dispute between exporters of live Maine lobsters and the European Union. Responding to a letter from Maine’s congressional delegation, officials in the Obama administration have committed the State Department to address the trade threat. In March, Sweden announced it was attempting to ban live North American lobsters from the 28-country EU, citing concerns that some of them have been found in European waters and are an “invasive species” that threatens Europe’s native lobster species. “The State Department is on our side,” Sen. Angus King said Friday evening, “and I think they’re going to be aggressive.” Read the rest here 11:27
Tri Marine International not surprised by US withdrawal from Tuna Treaty
Tri Marine International is not surprised by the US Government’s announcement its withdrawing from the South Pacific Tuna Treaty. In a statement issued this afternoon the owners of local cannery Samoa Tuna Processors say it remains focused on ensuring the long term stability of its operations in American Samoa. The cannery said the current Treaty is tied to a reality that no longer exists and needs to be rebuilt from the ground up to meet the needs of both the Pacific Island Parties and the U.S. boat owners as Asian interests continue to expand their reach into the region. Read the article here 15:00
U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter to Secretary of State John Kerry: Help save US tuna jobs
U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter wants the U.S. State Department to step in to assist American tuna boats — many with ties to San Diego — that are shut out of a large area of the Pacific Ocean for the first time in nearly 30 years. In a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry, Hunter writes that the U.S. government must act fast to help the tuna fleet. Last week, administrators of the South Pacific Tuna Treaty — a 27-year-old accord among 17 nations governing waters in the western Pacific — refused to issue 2016 licenses on Jan. 1. It said American boats must pay millions of dollars in fees, they agreed to in August, to fish international waters. Read the article here 08:42
U.S. tuna fishing fleet to be shut out of vast area of Pacific Ocean in fee dispute
The U.S. tuna fishing fleet, which helps feed San Diego’s storied tuna industry, is fighting for business survival thousands of miles from home. By New Year’s Day, the entire fleet of 37 boats will effectively be cut out of a vast area of the Pacific Ocean — source of 60% of the nation’s canned tuna — because of a high-stakes dispute over how much they will pay to fish there. Stateside companies, including several with ties to Southern California, say the conflict will not just hurt or destroy businesses, but also raise sustainability concerns for American consumers. Read the article here 12:52
Rise in human trafficking impacts Hawaii – Oahu farms, Commercial fishing industry, Child Prostitution
The State Department report said forced labor on inland, coastal and deep sea fishing vessels is growing. Bryant Carvahlo, a former federal investigator with the U.S. Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, said the Hawaii commercial fishing industry is rife with the exploitation of illegal aliens. Read more here 08:06
Slave labor could help local shrimpers and fisherman to raise awareness about local seafood
A report last week shed stunning light on work conditions on fishing boats half way around the world and opened a door for local shrimpers and fisherman to raise awareness about local seafood. For local seafood advocates, like shrimper and shrimp processor Kim Chauvin, the news comes as a breath of fresh air amidst an onslaught of negative press aimed at Gulf of Mexico shrimpers. “It’s disgusting to see that that’s going on and our government continues to give them subsidies. They (our Government) are sitting here and acting like they have our best interest at heart.” Chauvin said. Read more here 11:38
