Congressman Cohen Questions Experts on Illegal Overfishing, Primate Pet Ownership and Trophy Hunting at Committee on Natural Resources Hearing

Press Release

Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today questioned expert witnesses during a hybrid legislative hearing of 15 conservation bills before the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans and Wildlife. His line of questioning focused on unsustainable and illegal overfishing and the need to enforce existing laws, and whether primate pet ownership affects the decline of some species.

Congressman Cohen, a longtime member of the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus, also asked the Deputy Director for Policy at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service whether Big Game hunters should be banned from bringing their trophies into the United States.

Witnesses at today's hearing were:

Representative Don Young
Representative Jimmy Panetta
Representative Ted Lieu
Representative Debbie Dingell
Representative Stephanie Murphy
Representative Earl Blumenauer
Ms. Janet Coit, Assistant Administrator, National Marine Fisheries Service, Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, and Deputy NOAA Administrator,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;
Mr. Stephen Guertin, Deputy Director for Policy U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Mr. Nathan Rickard, Trade Counsel for Southern Shrimp Alliance
Dr. Erika Zavaleta, CAMINO Faculty Director, Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Faculty Director
Mr. Collin O'Mara, President and Chief Executive Officer for the National Wildlife Federation
Mr. Justin Jahnz, President and Chief Executive Officer East Central Energy

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