Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is a cosponsor of the Standards for Understanding Source and Habitat Identification (SUSHI) Act, H.R. 3706, passed by unanimous consent on Wednesday by the House Natural Resources Committee.
The bill works to secure American seafood against Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, which unfairly competes with the American tuna industry, along with other seafood. Among other provisions, the bill requires the Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and the Administrator of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to develop a standard methodology for identifying the country of origin of seafood to support enforcement against IUU fishing.
“Food security is national security, and in the Pacific we’ve consistently raised the alarm over IUU fishing. The U.S. has been doing more to signal a growing commitment to these priorities, and this legislation will strengthen efforts to add protections regarding our seafood sources and keep our U.S. fishing competitive and supplying American households with tuna, which ultimately strengthens American Samoa.”
