Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) made the following statement regarding the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) announcement of a new five-year strategy surrounding the nation's fisheries that is expected to increase the regulatory burdens for domestic seafood producers in the Gulf of Mexico.
"We in Louisiana know just how important fishing is to our economy, coastal communities, and livelihoods -- not to mention our weekends. NOAA's so-called "five year plan' seems to me like a warped attempt to expand the federal government's control over our fisheries that at the same time jeopardizes the well-being of our domestic seafood industry," said Vitter. "The consequences of NOAA's "plan' will force many of our Louisiana businesses to permanently close their doors, leaving a void that foreign competitors -- who face lax regulations -- will quickly fill. Before imposing new regulatory burdens, NOAA should focus on what our domestic seafood producers and the Gulf fisheries need to thrive, and that certainly is not more federal control."
Louisiana is one of the top seafood producing states in the United States, and the NOAA regulations, as part of the five-year strategy, are largely expected to affect Louisiana's fishing economy.
Vitter is author of the Imported Seafood Safety Standards Act. The bill purports to level the playing field between domestic and imported seafood producers by increasing inspection standards on imported seafood to ensure foreign exporters meet U.S. safety standards.