Seafood Harvesters Applaud House for Passing Port State Measures Agreement Implementing Legislation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:July 28, 2015Seafood Harvesters Applaud House for Passing Port State Measures Agreement Implementing LegislationWashington, DC – On behalf of the Seafood Harvesters of America, Executive Director Brett Veerhusen issued the following statement on the passage of H.R. 774, the Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Enforcement Act of 2015 (IUU).“We are pleased to see the United States House of Representatives move expeditiously to pass this important legislation,” stated Brett Veerhusen, Executive Director of the Seafood Harvesters of America. “We especially thank Representatives Madeleine Bordallo (D-GU) and Don Young (R-AK) for their bipartisan leadership. Passing implementing legislation for the Port State Measures Agreement is an important step to protect our domestic commercial fisheries. Strengthening the enforcement power of international fishery agreements already in existence is vital to protect lawful fishing practices. It levels the playing field for our nation’s fishermen when competing in domestic and international fishing markets. We commend the House’s action on this common sense bill, and hope the Senate will follow suit and pass similar IUU legislation,” concluded Veerhusen.###Seafood Harvesters of America (“Harvesters”) is an umbrella association representing 16 commercial fishing organizations from Alaska to the Gulf of Mexico north to New England. For more information, please visit seafoodharvesters.org or contact (314) 276-1062.