The House Natural Resources Committee has passed the bill to amend the 2016 South Pacific Tuna Treaty. Our Washington D.C. correspondent Matt Kaye with this update…
M.K. The non-controversial South Pacific Tuna Act of 2023 passed in committee by unanimous consent.
Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata was the key sponsor of the bill…and says it will clear up regulatory conflicts for the tuna fleet–
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NOAA endorsed the bill to implement the amendments at a July hearing.
Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Fisheries Kelly Kryc.
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The treaty already provides access to 16 Pacific Island nation EEZs, but Amata’s bill with Hawaii’s Ed will ensure fleet access to the high seas—crucial for American Samoa and its cannery.
Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman also supported the bill.
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American Tunaboat Association Director William Gibbons-Fly said, in July, the industry is “struggling to survive,” as they’re down from 34 vessels to 13 amid unfair competition, especially from China.
And while the Radewagen-Case bill won’t address all the industry’s challenges, Gibbons-Fly said it will be “one important step in the right direction.”
