Chairman Cruz: Bipartisan Red Snapper Bill Heads to President’s Desk
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the United States Senate unanimously passed the Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act (S. 283), which was introduced by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.). Passage comes after the House of Representatives cleared the bill, which now heads to the President’s desk.
The bipartisan bill would allow federal and state law enforcement officers to utilize technology that would determine the country of origin for certain species of fish, and confiscate any such illegally caught fish before sale in the United States. The bill directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to develop a standard methodology for identifying the country of origin of red snapper and certain species of tuna imported into the United States. Through the development of a field test kit, law enforcement can accurately assert whether fish were caught in U.S. or foreign waters.
Upon Senate passage, Chairman Cruz said: “While Texas fishermen are hard at work, illegal cartel-backed entities are catching and smuggling red snapper into U.S. markets, undermining law-abiding businesses in Texas and along the Gulf Coast. This bill, which will soon be signed into law by President Trump, puts a hard stop on this illegal activity. It cracks down on these corrupt operations by giving law enforcement the tools they need to protect our fishermen, their businesses, and our communities.”
Background:
Mexican fishermen cross into U.S. waters off the Texas coast on small boats called “lanchas” to illegally catch red snapper and return to Mexico. Some of the very same vessels crossing into U.S. waters to steal red snapper also support Mexican cartels involved in smuggling drugs and people. The fish are sold in Mexico or mixed in with legally caught red snapper, then exported back into the United States across land borders. Red snapper is one of the most well-managed and profitable fish in the Gulf, but illegal fishing by Mexican lanchas puts law-abiding U.S. fishermen and seafood producers at a competitive disadvantage.
###
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
