September 25, 2020 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:
Dear fishermen, seafood dealers, processors, and other fishing industry stakeholders,
This message is about an important discussion you may want to participate in. A flyer for the event is available here.
WHAT’S THIS ABOUT: The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) will host a virtual roundtable to gather input from New England and Mid-Atlantic fishing industry stakeholders on two topics: (1) the impacts of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing on the U.S. fishing industry; and (2) the impacts of seafood imports on U.S. products and markets.
WHEN WILL THIS HAPPEN: The roundtable is being held alongside the New England Fishery Management Council’s next meeting. The roundtable itself will take place on Tuesday, September 29, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. or shortly following the close of Council business that day.
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE: All stakeholders are encouraged to join the discussion. Anyone who fishes for, sells, or processes seafood in New England or the Mid-Atlantic region may be able to provide helpful information to the USITC as it works to brief Congress on IUU fishing and impacts of imports on U.S. fisheries.
HOW DO I JOIN THE ROUNDTABLE: To participate:
- Visit this link and select “join from your browser.” You will be asked to provide your full name and an email address.
- If you are accessing the videoconference via a Webex application, copy and paste 199 705 4058 into the box for the meeting number/access code and Y7Byi8h6Hu2 for the password.
- Also, if you think you may join the roundtable discussion, email the USITC’s Daniel Matthews at daniel.matthews@usitc.gov to let him know you’re interested.
WHAT DOES THE USITC WANT TO KNOW FROM ME: Anything related to impacts on U.S. fishermen from seafood imports or illegal fishing! Here are some examples of questions the commission is interested in.
- Competition with Imports: How is the squid fishery off the East Coast impacted by squid imports?
- Demand Trends: Have groundfish buyers, whether sourcing supply for U.S. markets or key export markets, required increased traceability in recent years?
- Pricing Trends: Do imported scallops directly compete with U.S. markets and influence the price U.S. fishermen receive for their product?
- Substitutability: Do Atlantic cod and haddock imports reduce demand for U.S.-caught cod and haddock?
- Supply Chains: Do U.S. squid processors process both domestic and imported product?
QUESTIONS: Email the USITC’s Dan Matthews at daniel.matthews@usitc.gov with any questions you have about the upcoming roundtable. He is happy to help.
MORE USITC INFORMATION: At the request of Congress, the USITC is conducting the following investigation. All related documents are available at the links below.
Seafood Obtained via Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing: U.S. Imports and Economic Impact on U.S. Commercial Fisheries (332-575)