On May 7, 2020, the President of the United States recently signed an Executive Order on Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth. The purpose of this Executive Order is “to strengthen the American economy; improve the competitiveness of American industry; ensure food security; provide environmentally safe and sustainable seafood; support American workers; ensure coordinated, predictable, and transparent Federal actions; and remove unnecessary regulatory burdens.”
Section 4 of the Executive Order requires each Regional Fishery Management Council to submit, within 180 days of the date of this order, a prioritized list of recommended actions to reduce burdens on domestic fishing and to increase production within sustainable fisheries, including a proposal for initiating each recommended action within 1 year of the date of this order. Recommendations must be consistent with the requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and other applicable laws.
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council invites the public to provide input on ways to reduce burdens on domestic fishing and to increase production within sustainable fisheries. Recommended actions may include changes to regulations, orders, guidance documents, or other similar actions.
Please use the online comment form to submit any comments or suggestions you would like the Council to consider. Comments may also be sent via email to msabo@mafmc.org with the subject line "Executive Order Comments." All comments must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, August 5, 2020.
Next Steps: The Council will review responses at its August 2020 meeting and begin development of a draft list of recommendations. It is anticipated that the Council will finalize its recommendations during its October 2020 meeting.
Questions? Contact Mary Sabo at msabo@mafmc.org, (302) 518-1143.