Commercial fishing groups are praising U.S. lawmakers for establishing a new seafood liaison position within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) – a long-held goal for the industry.
“American seafood is a heart-healthy protein, and our fisheries are managed for sustainable harvest. Support from USDA will provide well-deserved support to U.S. fishermen to ensure Americans have ready and continued access to domestic and locally harvested seafood,” Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association Executive Director Linda Behnken said in a release.
A letter circulated by the National Fisheries Institute, the Seafood Harvesters of America, the Pacific Seafood Processors Association, the At-Sea Processors Association, Pacific Seafoods, and Trident Seafoods in 2023 called on Congress to create an Office of Seafood Policy and Program Integration in the USDA Office of the Chief Economist. Lawmakers have attempted to fulfill that request in multiple pieces of legislation, but prior to this month had been unable to pass the proposal into law.
In ending the government shutdown last week, Senators were able to slip several last-minute additions to the U.S. House’s continuing resolution reopening the government, including funding and direction to create a USDA seafood liaison office. Lawmakers authorized USD 500,000 (EUR 429,278) for the new office, which an earlier Senate report stated would support “domestically harvested and processed wild and farmed seafood” and coordinate efforts between federal agencies.
The Fishing Communities Coalition (FCC) – an industry group that represents more than 1,000 commercial fishers – applauded Congress for creating the office and for passing a provision banning Chinese seafood from the nation’s school lunch program – another last-minute addition to the bill.
“We are grateful to our seafood champions in the Alaska congressional delegation and our steadfast supporters at the Appropriations Committee, including Chair [U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine)] and Ranking Member [U.S. Senator Patty Murphy (D-Washington)], for advancing these priorities” Alaska Marine Conservation Council Executive Director Michelle Stratton said in a release. “Establishing the USDA Seafood Liaison kicks off the major effort currently underway to support fishing and seafood businesses the way our terrestrial agriculture counterparts have been for decades. Keeping foreign imports out of the School Lunch Program is a key effort to bolster the integrity of U.S. seafood markets. These developments are the first wins of many we will continue to secure for our fishing ocmmunities.”
Behnkeng also praised U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) for their work on securing funding for the liaison position.
Industry representatives said they are hopeful the liaison can help seafood companies better access and utilize USDA programs designed to support the agriculture sector. Lawmakers have introduced multiple bills in recent years to clarify that seafood businesses should be able to take advantage of USDA loans and financial services.
“USDA has loans and financial services that are designed to help America’s food producers,” Southern Shrimp Alliance Deputy Director Blake Price said in a release. “Now, thanks to the Senate’s leadership, there will be a person dedicated to supporting the U.S. seafood producers in accessing these resources and coordinating seafood policies and activities across agencies. We expect a USDA seafood liaison will have a significant impact on the future viability of the U.S. shrimp industry.”
