Washington

WASHINGTON — Jan. 17, 2014 — The following was released by the office of Congressman Walter B. Jones:

Today, Congressman Walter B. Jones (NC-3) led a coalition of House members in urging the Obama administration to carefully consider the impact of their proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Free Trade Agreement on U.S. fisheries and fishing communities.  The agreement is widely expected to reduce or eliminate duties on imported fish products from countries like Vietnam, Malaysia, and Japan. Among other things, this could significantly cut funding for the Saltonstall-Kennedy (S-K) Act grant program, a U.S. research and development program that benefits American fisheries.  Since its passage nearly 70 years ago, the S-K Act has authorized allocation of 30 percent of duties on imported fish products toward competitively-awarded projects that improve U.S. fish stocks, reduce bycatch, and help fishing communities in every coastal region of America. 

In a letter signed by eight of his colleagues, Congressman Jones implored United States Trade Representative Michael Froman to keep the potential negative impact on S-K revenue in mind as TPP negotiations continue.  Furthermore, the signers of the letter requested that a detailed estimate of the effect of the TPP on S-K revenue be provided to them before the final TPP agreement language is sent to Congress.

“U.S. fishermen just want a level playing field, but this TPP agreement threatens to tilt the field even more toward foreign fish imports that are often heavily subsidized and contaminated,” said Congressman Jones.  “Fishing is a vital component of the economy in Eastern North Carolina and the coastal United States, with the industry providing tens of thousands of domestic jobs.  Those jobs are supported by the Saltonstall-Kennedy program, and the administration needs to keep these facts in mind and act accordingly when it comes to the TPP negotiations.”
  
The administration has been negotiating the TPP free trade agreement with Australia, Brunei, Chile, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam for over three years and is hoping to finalize the deal this year.

For additional information, please contact Sarah Howard in Congressman Jones’ office at (202) 225-3415 or sarah.howard@mail.house.gov.

January 17, 2014 — The following was released by Food and Water Watch:

“Today, nine members of Congress sent a letter to the United States Trade Representative to ensure that fisheries research does not become the unintended collateral damage of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Trade Agreement.

“Currently, the TPP is being negotiated in secret and includes some of the world’s biggest fish and seafood exporters (Vietnam, Malaysia, Canada, Mexico) and is designed so other nations can just join it in the future. Already the Philippines, China, South Korea, Thailand and India (and their tremendous fishing and aquaculture industries) have expressed interest in joining TPP.

“TPP would eliminate all or nearly all tariffs on imported fish, which is just another reason to oppose fast track. Some of these tariffs are used to fund domestic fisheries research. Given the beating our fishermen already have taken from massive seafood imports, they don’t need this added injury.

“Food & Water Watch heartily shares the Congress Members’ concerns that fisheries research will become the unintended collateral damage of TPP negotiations.”

Read the release from Food and Water Watch

WASHINGTON, D.C. –- January 17, 2014 — The following was released by the office of Congressman Walter B. Jones:

Today, Congressman Walter B. Jones (NC-3) led a coalition of House members in urging the Obama administration to carefully consider the impact of their proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Free Trade Agreement on U.S. fisheries and fishing communities.  The agreement is widely expected to reduce or eliminate duties on imported fish products from countries like Vietnam, Malaysia, and Japan. Among other things, this could significantly cut funding for the Saltonstall-Kennedy (S-K) Act grant program, a U.S. research and development program that benefits American fisheries.  Since its passage nearly 70 years ago, the S-K Act has authorized allocation of 30 percent of duties on imported fish products toward competitively-awarded projects that improve U.S. fish stocks, reduce bycatch, and help fishing communities in every coastal region of America.

In a letter signed by eight of his colleagues, Congressman Jones implored United States Trade Representative Michael Froman to keep the potential negative impact on S-K revenue in mind as TPP negotiations continue.  Furthermore, the signers of the letter requested that a detailed estimate of the effect of the TPP on S-K revenue be provided to them before the final TPP agreement language is sent to Congress.
 
“U.S. fishermen just want a level playing field, but this TPP agreement threatens to tilt the field even more toward foreign fish imports that are often heavily subsidized and contaminated,” said Congressman Jones.  “Fishing is a vital component of the economy in Eastern North Carolina and the coastal United States, with the industry providing tens of thousands of domestic jobs.  Those jobs are supported by the Saltonstall-Kennedy program, and the administration needs to keep these facts in mind and act accordingly when it comes to the TPP negotiations.”
  
The administration has been negotiating the TPP free trade agreement with Australia, Brunei, Chile, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam for over three years and is hoping to finalize the deal this year.

For additional information, please contact Sarah Howard in Congressman Jones’ office at (202) 225-3415 or sarah.howard@mail.house.gov.

View a PDF of the press release here 

 

 

January 17, 2014 — A year ago, the bill to provide $150 million in direct federal disaster assistance to fishermen rolled through the Senate, only to die a lingering death in the House — a casualty of the internecine and partisan bickering over the debt ceiling.

Yesterday, that failure by Congress to lift a deliberative finger to help fishermen was reduced to a political footnote when the Senate passed an appropriation to send $75 million to help fishermen, and fishing communities begin to right their ship after the economic peril visited upon them by the industry’s collapse.

The vote by the Senate, which followed Wednesday’s overwhelming victory in the House, means the federal government now will provide its first meaningful financial assistance to fishermen since the Department of Commerce declared an economic disaster in the Northeast groundfish fishery and elsewhere in 2012.

”This aid to our fishermen is long overdue,” Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren said yesterday, immediately after casting her vote on the Senate floor. “I couldn’t be more pleased.”

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

WASHINGTON — The following was released by the office of Senator Elizabeth Warren:

United States Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, and Representatives John Tierney (MA-6), Stephen Lynch (MA-8), Niki Tsongas (MA-3), Bill Keating (MA-9) and Joe Kennedy III (MA-4) today applauded the announcement that $75 million has been appropriated for national fishing disasters. The Massachusetts congressional delegation for months has been urging the Administration and the Appropriations Committees’ leadership in both chambers to support Massachusetts’ struggling fishermen.

“This federal disaster assistance will provide much-needed relief to our local fishermen who are struggling the most to make ends meet, and I am grateful to Chairwoman Mikulski for her hard work to secure this funding in the final appropriations agreement,” said Senator Warren. “Although this aid won’t ease all the hardships the fishing industry faces, it will provide long-overdue support to fishing communities dealing with devastating catch share cuts. I will continue fighting to make sure Massachusetts’ hardworking fishing families have the support they need during these tough times.”

"‎This is much needed relief for fishermen in Massachusetts, and I will continue to fight for more assistance to help the fishing industry that is so vital to New England's economy and culture,”said Senator Markey. “This fight to restore the Massachusetts fishing industry continues, but this is a good day for our fishing industry and shows that when we work together, we can still make the government serve the people. Acquiring these funds was one of my top priorities during this budgetary process, and Senator Warren, John Tierney, Bill Keating, Stephen Lynch and the entire Massachusetts delegation, along with Governor Patrick and Attorney General Coakley, have done incredible work to achieve this victory for fishermen.”

“I am grateful for the commitment of our Congressional delegation to the Commonwealth’s fishing community and for the support of the Obama administration,” said Governor Patrick. “While there is still more work to do to ensure the long-term sustainability of this valued industry, this funding will bring much-needed relief to the many Massachusetts families that rely on the its success.”

“For nearly 15 months, my Massachusetts colleagues and I have been fighting to provide critical disaster assistance for our fishermen and their families. I am incredibly pleased and proud to announce that $75 million in fisheries disaster aid has been included in the final Fiscal Year 2014 spending bill. This is tremendous news for fishermen and their families in Gloucester and throughout Massachusetts who have been struggling to make ends meet and waiting a long time for this critical relief. I also strongly support the appropriators’ final decision to halt efforts to close the Gloucester-based Northeast Regional Office. Hundreds of jobs as well as a critical link between the industry and NOAA will remain as a result of this decision,” said Congressman John Tierney.

“I am very pleased that $75 million in funding for fishery disaster relief has been included in the FY2014 Omnibus Appropriations Bill,” said Congressman Lynch. “A strong and viable fishing industry is vital to the economic well-being of the coastal communities of Massachusetts. The Northeast Multispecies Groundfish Fishery was declared a federal fisheries disaster area in September of 2012, and has long been in need of economic relief. I will continue to fight alongside the other Members of the Massachusetts Delegation to ensure that this funding is directed towards providing relief for the communities in the 8th Congressional District and across coastal Massachusetts that have been impacted.”

“Massachusetts’ fishing families are a cornerstone of our state’s economic and cultural foundation, with a grit and determination reflective of the New England spirit,” Congresswoman Tsongas said. “This much needed assistance will support these hard-working men and women and their local economies that were hit hard in the wake of a federally declared economic disaster.”

"Finally, nearly eighteen months since the Northeast groundfish fishery was issued a disaster declaration, Congress has appropriated funding to mitigate the burdens of the 2013 fishing year,”said Congressman Keating. “Our delegation has remained unified and committed to securing this indispensable assistance. As representative of the heart of this historic industry – from the Port of New Bedford to the piers of Provincetown – I remain committed to ensuring that our fishermen not only receive the reparations they deserve but that these investments advance scientific innovation and dynamic policies that drive this industry forward."

“Along the coast of our Commonwealth, fisheries have been and will continue to be a critical industry in our state’s economy,” Congressman Kennedy said. “The disaster relief funds included in the appropriations bill will greatly assist fishermen and their families, their businesses, and fishing communities as they work to rebuild and recover.”

In September 2012, a federal fisheries disaster was declared for Massachusetts. Significant cuts were made to the groundfish catch allocations of Northeast fishermen, and small businesses and families have struggled to make ends meet due to the strict limits. In response to calls for help by the Massachusetts congressional delegation, the Small Business Administration also made a series of low-interest loans available to qualifying fishermen affected by the disaster. Under the agreement, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s office in Gloucester will stay open.

 

January 15, 2014 — The $75 million in federal disaster funds for fishermen and fishing communities won’t be a done deal until it passes both houses of Congress, but stakeholders in the ravaged industry already are starting to take positions on how the money should be distributed.

”The most important thing is to get the money to the right people, the people who have been affected by what’s happened to the fishing industry,” said longtime Gloucester fisherman Joe Orlando. “To me, that’s the boat owners and the crews.

”I’m not talking about grants or low-interest loans, I’m talking about cash,” he added. “That’s what’s going to keep people in it right now.”

Orlando’s sentiment is a popular refrain among the city groundfishermen and fishing advocates. It is driven by the widespread and critical financial needs of those who have somehow managed to hang on in the decimated industry, but also by the deep-seated distrust of the Department of Commerce and its agent for all things related to fishing, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Commerce will receive the appropriation and will be charged with funneling the aid to the states.

The bill that includes the $75 million, which survived the House appropriation gauntlet after being whittled down from the $150 million in the Senate appropriation, does not include any specific mechanism for the distribution of funds.

U.S. Rep. John Tierney, however, said the funds will flow from Commerce to state agencies that will be responsible for parceling out the money to local communities. In Massachusetts, he said, that is expected to be the state Division of Marine Fisheries.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Daily Times

January 14, 2014 — There is $75 million in fisheries disaster relief in the omnibus appropriations bill poised to clear Congress this week, according to U.S. Rep. William Keating, D-Mass.

It is the first disaster relief money since the acting commerce secretary declared the Northeast fishery an economic disaster in September of 2012.

Keating said that the money will not go directly to fisheries managers but to the Commerce Department, which must decide how to allocate it to the states.

The money will go not only to the Northeast groundsifhery but to New Jersey for Hurricane Sandy relief, and the Gulf of Mexico for oysters.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Standard-Times 

 

January 8, 2014 — The world’s largest tuna companies are making a splash in Washington with a fight over rules that keep some catches out of school lunches.

StarKist and Tri Marine are clashing with Bumble Bee and Chicken of the Sea over the Agriculture Department’s strict Buy American standards for where tuna is cleaned, canned and shipped.

Bumble Bee and Chicken of the Sea lose under the rules. Both companies have facilities that process tuna in the United States, but their product is also cleaned overseas. Under the USDA standards, their tuna cannot be served in schools, denying them access to a lucrative market.
StarKist, on the other hand, has a major operation in the U.S. territory of American Samoa. Tri Marine is building up a new facility in the territory as well.

The two factions are sparring over language in the House agricultural appropriations bill that would require the USDA to issue a report on how the department could revise its Buy American standards, including “the option for less than 100 percent of the value of the tuna product be United States produced.”

The language could be slipped into the omnibus spending bill that lawmakers aim to release sometimes this week. If it becomes law, that report could clear the way for Bumble Bee and Chicken of the Sea to begin selling to schools.

Millions of dollars in government sales are at stake, including for American Samoa, where tuna is a linchpin of the island economy.

Read the full story at The Hill

WASHINGTON — January 8, 2014 — The following was released by the office of Congressman William Keating:

Reps. Bill Keating and John Tierney led their colleagues from the Massachusetts House Delegation on yet another request for the inclusion of fisheries disaster assistance in the FY2014 Omnibus Appropriations bill, which will fund federal programs over the next fiscal year.  Their letter was sent to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS), which has jurisdiction over fisheries issues in the appropriations process, and copied the Senate and House Budget Chairmen.

Citing the US Department of Commerce’s September 2012 disaster declaration, the letter highlights that it is within Congress’s authority to appropriate funds for fisheries-related disasters. Further, the Senate CJS Appropriations Committee has already recommended $150 million above FY2013 levels to alleviate some of the burdens fishermen are facing, such as the economic downturn, natural causes, and changes in regulations. 

“The disaster declaration was issued a year and a half ago, yet the House has still failed to provide the necessary relief to our fishermen for no good reason,” said Rep. Keating.  “Fishing is not just a historic industry; it is made up of small businesses that are and have been family-operated for generations.  In the past when times were tough for other American industries, we as country were there to assist and we must now do the same for this vital American industry.  The Senate has already added the additional disaster funds and it is time for the Republican-led House to do their job.”

“Once again I join with my colleagues to strongly urge for the inclusion of fisheries disaster assistance in the FY2014 Omnibus Appropriations bill. The letter we sent adds to the verbal request I recently made to the Chairman. It is unacceptable that businesses declared to be in a state of economic disaster have been waiting for nearly 15 months for assistance. I call on House Leadership to follow the lead of Senate appropriators and secure $150 million in disaster assistance to provide relief to fishermen throughout the country,” said Rep. Tierney.

Ensuring that local fishermen and fisheries receive disaster relief has been a priority for both Reps. Keating and Tierney.  Just as recently as November, Senators and Representatives from each state that was issued a disaster declaration in 2012 sent another bipartisan letter to Members of House and Senate, and Appropriations leadership requesting fisheries disaster relief assistance.

Both letters are attached to this release.

Read the release here

The Christmas season will come and go before fishermen and fishing communities discover the fate of the $150 million in federal disaster aid they seek in the final fiscal 2014 federal budget.

They should hear something soon after the calendar flips to 2014, but they might not like what they hear.

The $150 million, currently within the Commerce, Justice, State Appropriations bill, remains in limbo as appropriators in the House and Senate work together to assemble the omnibus appropriations bill that ultimately must clear both congressional chambers.

The clock is running. The House and Senate are scheduled to return to session Jan. 7, and the deadline for drafting a new omnibus appropriations bill is Jan. 15, when the current resolution funding the federal government is set to expire.

Read the full story from the Gloucester Daily Times