Tag: peltola

House Members Launch Bipartisan American Seafood Caucus
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House Members Launch Bipartisan American Seafood Caucus

An American Seafood Caucus has been created by three members of the U.S. House of Representatives to provide a forum that ensures domestic seafood doesn’t take a backseat to foreign projects not meeting U.S. quality and sustainability standards or are illegally subsidized by foreign governments. “For generations, from Puget Sound to the Pacific Ocean, seafood has been more than a source of sustenance – it’s been a way of life for folks from our region,” said Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-WA, who announced formation of the caucus on Nov. 8, with Reps. Mary Peltola (D-AK), Garret Graves (R- LA), and Rob Wittman (R-VA). “Today, members of the bipartisan American Seafood Caucus stand united in our commitment to safeguarding this heritage,” Kilmer said. Peltola noted that American and Alask...
NOAA Report on Killer Whale Bycatch Prompts Call for Immediate Action
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NOAA Report on Killer Whale Bycatch Prompts Call for Immediate Action

U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, is calling on NOAA Fisheries to end the status quo on action to prevent killer whales from being caught up in groundfish trawl gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands. On Oct. 26, Peltola released a statement saying she has asked NOAA Fisheries to release conclusions of an analysis of the 10 killer whales caught in trawl nets this year. Peltola urged NOAA to consider increased whale-gear interactions in any National Standard revisions particularly learned whale behavior related to bycatch discards. Killer whales are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which requires vessel owners and operators to report to NOAA Fisheries all incidental mortalities and injuries of marine mammals that occur during commercial fishing and survey ope...
Peltola Supports International Watershed Board for Alaska-British Columbia Border
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Peltola Supports International Watershed Board for Alaska-British Columbia Border

Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, is speaking out in support of an International Watershed Board for specific rivers along the Southeast Alaska and British Columbia border to ensure environmental protection from potential mining site dam tailings for these salmon rich waterways. Peltola announced her support for an International Watershed Board on Monday, in advance of meetings this week by the International Joint Commission of the U.S. and Canada in Washington D.C.  The commission’s mandate is to prevent and resolve disputes under the U.S.-Canada Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909. “Alaska and Canada share more than just a border; we share many watersheds and rivers that are critical to our people,” Peltola said. The congresswoman added that she’d heard from many Alaska communities and tribes...
ComFish Alaska 2023 Takes On Climate Change, Legal Challenges to State’s Fisheries
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ComFish Alaska 2023 Takes On Climate Change, Legal Challenges to State’s Fisheries

Participants in ComFish Alaska 2023, undeterred by a spring snowstorm that halted jet traffic in and out of Kodiak for a day, tackled climate challenges to fisheries, including plastics pollution and prospective economic and environmental benefits of the mushrooming kelp mariculture efforts. The state’s biggest and longest-running commercial fisheries trade show, which began in a borrowed Alaska National Guard wall tent in 1980, incorporated into its March 16-18 program in Kodiak a mix of presenters ranging from harvesters, fisheries managers, federal and state legislators to historians and experts in marine debris and kelp mariculture. The event also featured 46 trade show booths offering fishing marine supplies, vessel permits and sales, expertise in satellite technology, health care...