June 18, 2014 — Yesterday, President Barack Obama announced several ocean-related initiatives.
According to a White House fact sheet, the administration’s National Ocean Policy Initiatives include an effort to address pirate fishing, a white paper on ocean acidification, and an aquaculture research plan.
The pirate fishing initiative directs federal agencies to “develop a comprehensive program aimed at deterring illegal fishing, addressing seafood fraud, and preventing illegally caught fish from entering the marketplace by increasing traceability and transparency.”
The details of such a program have yet to be announced, but Sen. Mark Begich praised the focus on pirate fishing.
“Shutting down pirate fishing in Alaska has been a priority for me since I arrived in the Senate,” Begich said in a formal statement. “I helped pass pirate fishing legislation out of the Commerce Committee last year so this is welcome news. As chairman of the Senate Oceans Subcommittee, I know how pirate fishing affects our fishing communities in Alaska. Up to 40 percent of king crab on the market is illegally caught Russian crab, which has cost our fishermen some $600 million since 2000 and cost our communities millions in lost tax revenues. I will continue to use my position to make sure this program succeeds in putting an end to pirate fishing in our coastal communities.”