Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness

Key Points

• 1Directs the Secretary of Commerce to identify and reduce regulatory burdens on commercial fishing, aquaculture, and fish processing industries within 30 days, in coordination with Regional Fishery Management Councils
• 2Requires Regional Fishery Management Councils to provide updated recommendations within 180 days to reduce domestic fishing burdens, stabilize markets, and increase production
• 3Instructs the National Marine Fisheries Service to incorporate less expensive and more reliable technologies into fishery assessments and to expand exempted fishing permit programs
• 4Addresses seafood trade concerns, noting that approximately 90 percent of seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported and citing a $20 billion seafood trade deficit
• 5Seeks to modernize data collection and analytical practices while maintaining compliance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, Endangered Species Act, and Marine Mammal Protection Act