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U.S. Senator Katie Britt, R-Ala., applauded the Senate Commerce Committee for advancing the Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act, bipartisan legislation she led with Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Senators Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., and Brian Schatz, R-Hawaii.
The bill would direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to develop a standard methodology for identifying the country of origin of red snapper and certain species of tuna imported into the United States. The Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act now heads to the full Senate for consideration.
“Senate Republicans are committed to putting America first, which requires legislation that protects hardworking Americans, including our tremendous Gulf of America red snapper fishermen and food producers in Alabama. These Alabamians deserve fairness when fishing and selling their products in the market,” said Senator Britt.
The legislation aims to develop a field test kit that can be used to accurately ascertain whether fish were caught in U.S. or foreign waters, allowing federal and state law enforcement officers to identify the origin of the fish and confiscate illegally caught red snapper and tuna before it is imported back into the U.S.
Each year, about 100,000 red snapper are harvested off of Alabama’s coast, accounting for almost a third of the total recreational harvest in the Gulf of Mexico. Recent data reports that recreational and commercial fishing supports over 12,000 jobs in the state and contributes more than $1.1 billion in sales annually to the state economy.
“Advancing the Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act is a first step to protecting Alabama’s fishermen and putting cartel-backed poachers on notice for their illicit activities in the Gulf. This legislation will help ensure a level playing field for our fishermen and send a strong message to Mexico that illegal actions will no longer be tolerated,” Britt continued.
“Red snapper is one of the most well-managed and profitable fish in the Gulf of America, but illegal fishing by Mexican lanchas puts law-abiding U.S. fishermen and seafood producers at a competitive disadvantage. Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated fishing activities violate both national and international fishing regulations,” Sen. Britt’s press release stated.
“Cartels engaged in drug smuggling and human trafficking also engage in the profitable illegal fishing of red snapper. The same fishing boats and fishermen who catch red snapper also smuggle drugs and humans for the cartels, and these profits support the organization. Senators Britt and Cruz previously introduced similar legislation during the 118th Congress, which passed the Commerce Committee in July of last year,” the release concluded.
