Settlement will lead US to make rules for seafood imports that may harm marine mammals in 2016
SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SeafoodNews] Jan 7, 2015
A settlement between 3 NGO's and the U.S. government at the court of International Trade may lead to import rules based on how seafood producers interact with Marine Mammals.
The NGO's say the agreement will require foreign fisheries to meet the same marine mammal protection standards required of U.S. fishermen or be denied import privileges, thus implementing a 40-year-old provision of the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
“The new regulations will force other countries to step up and meet U.S. conservation standards — saving hundreds of thousands of whales and dolphins from dying on hooks and in fishing nets around the world,” said Sarah Uhlemann, senior attorney and international program director of the Center for Biological Diversity. “The U.S. government has finally recognized that all seafood consumed in the United States must be ‘dolphin-safe.’ ”
Each year more than 650,000 whales, dolphins and other marine mammals are caught and killed in fishing gear. These animals are unintentional “bycatch” of commercial fisheries and either drown outright or are tossed overboard to die from their injuries.
The Center says that despite U.S. efforts to protect marine mammals in its own waters, fishing gear continues to pose the most significant threat ...
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