Gluesenkamp Perez Pushes Administration to Include Southwest Washington Priorities in Effort to Restore America’s Seafood Competitiveness

WASHINGTON, DC – During the open comment period for Executive Order (EO) 14276, Restoring America’s Seafood Competitiveness, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03), wrote to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to call on the agency to prioritize Southwest Washington’s fishermen and producers as they implement the order.

“As the independent voice in Congress for Southwest Washington, I appreciate the opportunity to share some of the challenges our fishermen face and work toward durable solutions to ensure our fisheries remain sustainable and productive,” wrote Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez. She went on to say that “As NOAA moves forward with this important order, it’s critical our national strategy prioritizes and strengthens the real people who make a living at sea.”

Specifically, Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez’s letter to NOAA Fisheries—which can be found here—does the following: 

• Encourages NOAA to include active crab fishermen on the Fisheries Take Reduction Team (TRT) as partners to provide generational, lived experience to the decision-making process for sustainable fishing practices.

• Calls on NOAA to continue pinniped predation mitigation efforts on the Columbia River and examine best practices for sea lion removal, including direct, lethal removal.
  
• Emphasizes the importance of partnership between NOAA and USDA to ensure schools in our communities have access to locally sourced, nutritious seafoods.
  
• Notes the need to build out our domestic manufacturing capacity and make sure our fishermen can source buoy lines and other equipment in the United States.

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