Department of Agriculture Archives - Page 2 of 3

Scott Pruitt pushes back on finding that would restrict pesticides’ use to protect fish

February 5, 2018 — For months, chemical companies have waged a campaign to reverse findings by federal fisheries scientists that could curb the use of pesticides based on the threat they pose to endangered species. They scored a major victory this week, when Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt announced he would press another federal agency to revisit a recent opinion triggering such restrictions.

The struggle over an arcane provision of the Endangered Species Act, in which the EPA must affirm that the pesticides it oversees do not put species’ survival in jeopardy, has become the latest front in the battle over a broad-spectrum insecticide known as chlorpyrifos. Pruitt denied a petition to ban its agricultural use after questioning EPA scientists’ conclusions that exposure impedes brain development in infants and fetuses.

Speaking to the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture on Wednesday, Pruitt said he plans to inform the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Fisheries Service “that there needs to be a consultation because we have usage data, frankly, that wasn’t considered.”

NOAA Fisheries issued a Biological Opinion on Dec. 29, which was publicly released Jan. 9 by the environmental law firm Earthjustice, finding that the current use of chlorpyrifos and malathion “is likely to jeopardize the continued existence” of 38 species of salmon and other fish in the Pacific Northwest and destroy or harm the designated critical habitat of 37 of those species. It found another pesticide, diazinon, could jeopardize the continued existence of 25 listed fish species and could harm critical habitat for 18 of them.

In allowing chlorpyrifos to stay on the market — the product is already prohibited for household products — Pruitt cited concerns raised by the Department of Agriculture, pesticide industry groups and an EPA scientific review panel about studies the agency used to conclude that the pesticide poses a serious enough neurological risk to ban its use on dozens of crops. One study, by researchers at Columbia University, found a connection between higher exposure levels to chlorpyrifos and learning and memory problems among farmworkers and children.

Read the full story at the Washington Post

Letter: Fishermen need a fish bill

December 26, 2017 — My name is Sam Parisi from Gloucester, Massachusetts. I am retired and want to devote my time to help our fishing industry at no charge to anyone.

We have many problems, thanks in part to NOAA ‘s restrictions. We have tried to turn the tide. NOAA has grown so big, so rather than fight it, let us together find a solution that would be welcome to all.

I believe the solution is federal legislation. Farmers have a farm bill; fishermen need a fish bill. The drastic cuts in quota that our fishermen have incurred over the last two years are driving even the hardest fishermen out of business. Without fish, fishermen and fish houses cannot survive. We all know Economics 101 and the domino effect of lost revenue. Waterfront properties will become liabilities instead of assets and our tax base will evaporate.

Are we going to sit back and watch what we know will happen and then react? The crystal ball is right in front of us. NOAA has shown us our future. NO FISH MEANS NO MONEY. So what are we going to do about it? Are we going to be proactive and do something before the bleeding starts?

Read the full letter at the Gloucester Times

Opinion: Conservation and training vital to keep Alaska fisheries strong

December 20, 2017 — I wasn’t ready to have kids until my husband and I started hand trolling together. Watching the other families on deck running gear or anchored in the evening and playing on a beach broke something loose inside of me. This is what I wanted. I wanted a boat, kids, a life out on the water. So that winter we bought a fixer-upper steel boat and a power troll permit. We jumped.

We jumped knowing the basics of trolling and seamanship. There was so much to learn, especially as someone who didn’t grow up fishing — supervising crew, keeping up with technological updates, and running the business end of things. Putting hooks in the water was the easy part.

Fishing has always required knowledge that’s tough to get as a newcomer, but getting started now is a lot more complicated than it was even a few decades ago. Fishing permits are tens of thousands of dollars at the least, and enough fishing quota to get started now costs more than a college education. Fishing regulations are increasingly complicated, and keeping up with policy decisions can be daunting.

But help is on the way. This fall, Alaska’s congressional delegation introduced the Young Fishermen’s Development Act to the House and the Senate. This act would establish a Young Fishermen’s Development Fund to support education and training opportunities for young fishermen throughout the country. The program is modeled after the Department of Agriculture’s successful Beginning Farmer and Rancher program, which has helped hundreds of young people start their own businesses. Currently no comparable program exists for young fishermen. If passed, funding will come from NOAA’s asset forfeiture fund: Fines paid for breaking fishing regulations will assist new operations with getting started on the right foot. I applaud our delegation for providing this essential support to our young fishermen’s future.

Of course, the most important ingredient to a healthy fishing business is access to productive fish stocks. We depend on those managing our fisheries to commit to conservation first. The Magnuson-Stevens Act, which is the primary law governing fisheries around the country, is currently undergoing reauthorization by Congress. Unfortunately, a very vocal segment of the recreational fishing sector is pushing for exemptions to conservation requirements.

Read the full editorial at the Anchorage Daily News

John McCain urges delay in new catfish inspection rules

September 1, 2017 — Sen. John McCain is mounting a last-minute plea to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to delay implementation of new catfish inspection rules slated to fully kick in Friday, saying all catfish inspections should be returned to the jurisdiction of the Food and Drug Administration.

Mr. McCain said the new inspection regime under the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is a thinly-disguised trade barrier against Asian catfish imports at the hands of domestic farmers in southern states.

“This wasteful program is a classic example of shortsighted, anti-free market protectionism at its worst,” Mr. McCain wrote in a letter to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue this week.

“I request that you delay implementation of the USDA Catfish Inspection Program until Congress has an opportunity to reverse this duplicative, wasteful program,” he wrote.

Most fish is inspected by the FDA, but Congress — led by southern Republicans looking to protect their state’s industry — included language in the 2008 Farm bill that set the stage to transfer catfish inspections to a more intrusive process under FSIS.

Read the full story at the Washington Times

MASSACHUSETTS: A focus on selling seafood

Local stakeholders hope event generates opportunities

August 2, 2017 — More than 60 key players from the fishing and seafood industries will be in Gloucester on Wednesday exploring new ways to promote locally caught seafood and spotlight seaport economic successes.

Presenters from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the University of Massachusetts Boston, along with waterfront representatives from Maine to New Jersey will attend a day-long conference, open to the public, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Gloucester House.

“Building the Massachusetts Seafood System,” as the event is titled, will include presentations and discussion groups, said local organizer and harbor activist Valerie Nelson. But she said it will be more than just talk.

“This is designed to produce recommendations to the Seaport Council, to the state, maybe to the UMass system,” Nelson said . “This isn’t an idle conversation, this is to lead to a next step. We want some real momentum to come out of this.”

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times

Rep. Don Young Unveils Young Fishermen’s Development Act

April 14, 2017 — Alaska Congressman Don Young, a longtime leader in national fisheries policy and legislation, this week unveiled his newest bill – H.R. 2079, the Young Fishermen’s Development Act – to address the longtime decline in younger Americans entering the commercial fishing fleet – or “graying of the fleet.” Young’s legislation would create the first ever national grant program through the Department of Commerce to support training, education, and workplace development for the nation’s next generation of commercial fishermen.

“This innovative new program is only one effort to preserve fishing heritage and encourage new participation in the industry,” said Congressman Don Young. “Young commercial fishermen are facing bigger challenges than ever before – new barriers to entry, limited training opportunities and a lack of support. This legislation is about supporting the livelihoods of fishing communities in Alaska and across the nation. I’m proud to stand with our young fishermen by introducing this important piece of legislation.”

Congressman Young introduced H.R. 2079 with Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) to create a completive grant program – modeled closely after the successful Department of Agriculture’s Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Development Program – to provide meaningful resources for younger generations of Americans entering and progressing in the fishing industry.

“The fishing industry is vital to the Sixth District and to our entire region, but we’re at a crossroads,” said Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA). This legislation will help to sustain the fishing industry by ensuring that our young people not only have a future in fishing, but are also empowered with the training and resources necessary to thrive in the 21st-century economy. I’m grateful to Congressman Young for his collaboration on this bill and broader efforts to support our young fishermen.”

Read the full story at Alaska Business Monthly

MASSACHUSETTS: By knocking down barriers, bill could help reinvigorate Gloucester fleet

April 10, 2017 — With the wind-swept vista of the nation’s oldest fishing seaport on full display behind him, U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton on Saturday stood with his feet on the Gloucester waterfront and his eye on the future of the commercial fishing industry.

Moulton was in Gloucester to announce legislation he believes will help rebuild the industry’s dwindling workforce by removing training and economic barriers to cultivate a new generation of fishermen.

“Today we’re celebrating the industry that is so fundamental to this community and frankly to our entire region,” said Moulton while flanked by a cadre of state and city officials. “The piece of legislation that we’re announcing today will go toward sustaining that industry into the future by ensuring that young people have a future in the fishing industry.”

The legislation, crafted in partnership with U.S. Rep. Don Young of Alaska, is the Young Fishermen’s Development Act. The bill, according to its sponsors, is a vehicle for addressing one of the fishing industry’s most pressing needs — building a new generation of fishermen that will take the industry into the future.

The bill is modeled after a similar and successful program initiated by the Department of Agriculture to re-energize the farming industry. It is designed to provide federal grants to local organizations to develop training, education and outreach to attract younger fishermen to help reverse the trend of an aging industry.

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times

MASSACHUSETTS: Rep. Moulton bill looks to inject youth into fishing industry

April 10, 2017 — Looking to the future of commercial fishing as well as its troubling present, U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton is sponsoring legislation that will attempt to inject more innovation, entrepreneurship and youth into the aging industry.

The Salem congresman is scheduled to travel to Gloucester on Saturday morning to announce his filing of the “Young Fishermen’s Development Act of 2017” at an event at Fisherman’s Wharf with fishing stakeholders and local and state officials.

“The fishing economy certainly is critical to our district and state, but it’s also critical to our country,” Moulton said Thursday. “More and more people are eating more and more seafood and it’s in our national interest to protect this food source and do everything we can to rebuild the industry.”

The tenets of the legislation, which is modeled after a similar and successful program run by the Department of Agriculture, include training, education and outreach to attract younger fishermen to the waterfront to help reverse the trend of an aging industry.

The legislation calls for Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, acting through the National Sea Grant office, to establish the program and “make competitive grants to support new and established local and regional training, education, outreach and technical assistance initiative for young fishermen.”

Read the full story at the Gloucester Times

OMB Has Been Sitting on USDA Organic Aquaculture Standards for Nearly a Year

August 17, 2016 — SEAFOOD NEWS — Get that organic birthday cake ready! The Agriculture Department’s proposed organic aquaculture standards will hit one year under White House Office of Management and Budget review on Wednesday, double the time officials are supposed to take on the interagency review process. If it’s ever released, the rule will set the first ever standards for the cultivation and production of organic fish and other seafood. Europe and Canada already have organic aquaculture standards, and some other groups have started offering their own standards as the USDA has floundered moving forward.

Why it’s stuck at OMB is unclear. A USDA spokesman tells MA that there is no news on when the rule will be released or what the holdup is, and the White House did not return a request for comment. However, George Lockwood, who chaired an aquaculture taskforce for the National Organic Standards Board, tells MA he thinks the administration is leaning toward only allowing closed-loop systems, such as raising fish in land-based tanks, possibly overriding the recommendations from the NOSB. Such systems often need expensive tanks and other infrastrastructure and aren’t appropriate for all species, Lockwood says, adding that the standards should instead allow a variety of fishing methods. White House and USDA officials asked repeatedly about closed-loop and recirculating systems at an OMB meeting in October, “questions that in retrospect were tipping their hand,” he says.

The delay at OMB is just the continuation of what has been a “tortured” process, says Patty Lovera, assistant director of the advocacy group Food and Water Watch. Given that the organic program was designed for things grown on land, where inputs can largely be controlled, figuring out how best to handle organic aquaculture, where, for example, contaminants can move freely through water, has been difficult. “I think the very slow pace of it shows it’s a tough one to wrap your hands around,” she says.

This story originally appeared on Seafoodnews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.

Portsmouth seafood supplier: Double inspection is bad for business, health

June 7, 2016 — PORTSMOUTH, NH — Officials at High Liner Foods in Portsmouth say that a duplicative inspection program for catfish is hindering their growth.

Traditionally, the Food and Drug Administration was tasked with oversight of all fish. But a provision included in the 2008 Farm Bill removed FDA oversight of catfish, and transferred inspection responsibilities to the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Now, companies such as High Liner are subject to redundant regulations and duplicate inspection activities, they say.

CEO Keith Decker says the provision is not only bad for business, it is bad for the health of Americans, who eat less than half of the recommended amount of seafood.

“We have to figure out a way to be able to more than double seafood consumption, so we hope through our work, and the support of our senators, we can continue to eliminate these efforts to block seafood consumption through trade protectionism, etc., so we can continue to expand our work,” Decker said.

Decker said because of the current inspection process, he has to have a separate inspector in all of their facilities.

U.S. Sens. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., toured the company Monday morning, learning about its products, and speaking with employees about the recent passage of a Resolution of Disapproval that would block the USDA program.

Read the full story at the New Hampshire Union Leader