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