Big News: Improving ARCTIC Act

NAMA and the Fish Locally Collaborative have been working hard to uplift community-based seafood for years. We’ve told our decision-makers what we need. We’ve written letters, gathered together, taken part in public processes, and more. Now, our collective persistence has put a national spotlight on our top issues – big time!
 
Last week Senator Murkowski (R-AK) — thanks to the Don’t Cage our Oceans campaign — included our network’s own language and priorities into the Improving ARCTIC Act!
 
This language ensures that major resources go to enhance local and regional seafood supply chains (both wild-caught and mariculture) and that we prohibit factory fish farms in federal waters.
This Act will heavily benefit all of us and would not have been possible without you!
Here is a summary of the Bill, which includes other great provisions as well, like the required labeling of GE fish (aka “Frankenfish”).
 

Here’s what you can do!

  • Help spread the word!
  • Contact your elected officials and ask them to co-sponsor this Bill
  • If you live in Alaska, contact Sen. Murkowski to say thank you by either emailing her or calling her DC office at 202-224-6665.
  • If you are not currently a member of DCO2, consider becoming one today
  • Consider writing an op-ed for a local paper and let us know. We’ll help! Contact our Media Coordinator Feini Yin at feini@namanet.org

 

 

“We applaud Senator Murkowski’s work to expand and sharpen USDA’s vision when it comes to seafood. The seafood provisions in the ‘Improving ARCTIC Act’ will help consumers differentiate between wild harvested seafood and genetically engineered or lab-grown seafood; the provisions also prevent the federal government from imposing off-shore aquaculture on States such as Alaska that have wisely protected wild fish stocks from the impacts of this damaging industry. Senator Murkowski has helped the USDA remember that investments in America’s seafood industry and fishing communities benefit our Nation’s health and food security, and ALFA’s members appreciate her hard work and leadership.”

– Linda Behnken, Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association.