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SEAT Project Helps Convince Member of the European Parliament to Accept Pangasius

Member of the European parliament (MEP) Struan Stevenson has changed his views on pangasius imported from Vietnam after a presentation from the Sustainable Ethical Aquaculture Trade (SEAT) project and a trip to visit farms in Vietnam. MEP Stevenson had previously criticized imports of pangasius to Europe, concerned that the fish wasn’t being produced with adequate concern for hygiene, welfare and fish health but after seeing operations for himself, he concluded that Vietnamese operations are well-run, create important employment opportunities and are good for the European Union as well.

MEP Stevenson was invited to visit farms in Vietnam to see the production facilities for himself by the Vietnamese Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP). Prior to leaving for Vietnam, he went to the Institute of Aquaculture at the University of Stirling for a briefing on pangasius and to learn about the current status of the SEAT project. The experience led him to rescind his previous comments on the import of pangasius to the EU, saying, “Far from finding a dirty, unhygienic and polluted business, I discovered a dynamic new industry, meeting world-class welfare and hygiene standards and producing a quality product under first-rate conditions. It also provides secure jobs, social security benefits and pension provisions for millions of desperately poor people in the Mekong Delta.”

Learn more about the SEAT project >>

Read about MEP Stevenson’s visit to the Institute of Aquaculture >>

Public and Stakeholders Invited to National Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning Workshop

The National Ocean Council invites the public and stakeholders to join its members and federal, tribal, and state representatives in a public session on coastal and marine spatial planning (CMSP) in Washington, D.C., on June 21, 2011.

Gathering public feedback through this workshop is a critical step toward implementing a National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, our Coasts, and the Great Lakes as established by Executive Order under President Obama on July 19, 2010. That Executive Order adopts the Final Recommendations of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force. The National Ocean Policy establishes a comprehensive, collaborative, regionally based planning process called coastal and marine spatial planning. This process involves cooperative planning among federal, state, and tribal authorities, and solicits extensive input from the public and stakeholders to develop an approach tailored to the unique needs of each region.

Workshop participants will learn about CMSP and help shape how it can be used to help harmonize the often competing uses of these waters, such as national security, energy and economic security, and conservation. This national session will be followed by additional opportunities for public engagement through future regional workshops.

This public session will take place on June 21, 2011, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the Yates Auditorium at the U.S. Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street NW, Washington, D.C.

Space is limited. Register now >>

For those who cannot attend the session in person or if interest exceeds capacity, it will also be available to the public through a live webcast on June 21, 2011 at www.doi.gov/live.

Bill S. 3641: The National Endowment for the Oceans Introduced

This legislation is intended to establish a national endowment for the study, protection, and restoration of the U.S. ocean, coasts and Great Lakes. It would be paid for by revenue generated from the Gulf Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, offshore energy development, and a portion of the fines and damages collected for violations of laws meant to protect our ecosystems. The intent is that a small portion of the revenue generated from damaging our ocean will be reinvested in its health and long-term viability.

This bill would state that the Treasury Department would fund grants (in conjunction with state matching grants) for programs to restore, maintain, or understand living marine resources and their habitats, and ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources, including baseline scientific research, ocean observing, and other programs in coordination with federal and state departments or agencies. This act would authorize the Secretary of the Treasury to make grants for such purposes. States that programs funded in Great Lakes states could also seek to attain the goals embodied in the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Plan, the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration Strategy, the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, or other collaborative planning efforts of the Great Lakes Region.

The bill has been read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Find out more >>

Shark Finning Legislation Gaining Support

May 23, 2011: The California State Assembly passed AB 376 with a final vote of 65-8. The bill — which bans the purchase, sale, and possession of shark fins — is now heading for a vote in the Senate this June. AB 376 would essentially ban shark finning, a process where the fins and tails are cut from living sharks, and the remainder of the fish, which is often still alive, is thrown back into the ocean. Track the bill >>

Hawaii has passed a shark finning ban that went into effect in July 2010. Read the bill >>

The Oregon House also unanimously passed a bill that bans the possession and distribution of shark fins. Bill 2838 includes exemptions for spiny dogfish. The bill will now move to the Senate for approval. Track the bill >>

Find out more about shark populations from the Global Shark Assessment >>

Waste-Free Ocean Campaign Launches in France

European Commissioner of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Maria Damanaki announced plans to pay fishermen to catch plastic rather than fish to clean up the ocean wile decreasing pressure on fish stocks. Damanaki hopes to launch a beta version of the project in the Mediterranean as part of the EU’s larger goal of reducing discards. The project is designed to mutually benefit the fishing industry and the environment, providing financial subsidies to participating fishermen while removing marine debris that can choke, strangle or entangle marine life. Damanaki is also exploring the potential to grant EU states the authority to ban imports of fishery products from countries that do not meet sustainability standards.