Two U.S. representatives have written a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden’s top trade officials urging them to protect American interests with respect to a source for Chilean sea bass.
In a letter dated Wednesday, 16 February, to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, U.S. Reps. David Cicilline (D-Rhode Island) and Val Demings (D-Florida) said actions by Russia may keep the U.S. from accepting imports from the South Georgia Patagonian toothfish fishery, located around the island of South Georgia and the plateau to the west around Shag Rocks in the Southern Ocean, near Antarctica.
In October 2021, Russian officials blocked the 26-member body – the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) – that oversees Antarctic fishing from implementing a catch-limit recommendation. Cicilline and Deming said NOAA has told U.S. processors that imports from the Marine Stewardship Council-certified fishery may now be banned because of Russia’s actions.
“The U.S. imports approximately three million pounds of MSC-certified toothfish from South Georgia every year, worth approximately USD 50 million [EUR 44.1 million] to importers as part of an approximately USD 100 million [EUR 88.3 million] consumer market,” the lawmakers wrote. “These imports provide high-quality American jobs, in our states and across the country, including in shipping and storage, processing, retail, and restaurants across the nation.”
Cicilline and Demings said seafood importers do not agree with NOAA’s preliminary legal analysis, and make “a compelling case” that imports should still be accepted this year. The letter adds that the U.S. representative on the Commission on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources does not believe the fishery should be closed. Both lawmakers said businesses in their states rely on the imports.
“[The] South Georgia fishery is among the most sustainable in the world. It is well-managed and environmentally responsible. We call on the administration to work with our allies and ensure continued access by American businesses to this important source of good jobs and sustainable food," Demings said.
The letter comes as other U.S. lawmakers have called for the administration to take action against Russia for its trade practices. U.S. Sens. Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski, both Republicans representing Alaska, want Biden to block Russian seafood imports from entering the U.S. in response to Russia banning U.S. imports years ago after the Obama administration sanctioned the country for its takeover of Crimea.
Photo courtesy of Derek Hatfield/Shutterstock
