Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Rep. Amata Radewagen’s (R-American Samoa, At-large) H.R. 4576, Ensuring Access to Pacific Fisheries Act, by voice vote. The bill implements U.S. participation in two international fishery treaties that the U.S. helped negotiate, the Convention on the Conservation and Management of High Seas Fisheries Resources in the North Pacific Ocean and the Convention on the Conservation and Management of High Seas Fishery Resources in the South Pacific Ocean.

“Our domestic seafood industry is under attack by the Obama administration. Marine monument expansions are increasing no-fishing zones. Entire local seafood economies risk extinction as our foreign competitors are getting a leg up. This bill will help us protect and strengthen domestic seafood supply and jobs by giving the U.S. a seat at the table during important international negotiations. I applaud Congresswoman Radewagen for her efforts in moving this bill forward,” Chairman Rob Bishop (R-UT) said.   

“In American Samoa, there are no issues that carry more weight to the people that I represent than those of our fisheries, which comprise over 80 percent of the island’s revenue generation,” Rep. Radewagen said. “I am proud to say that this bill does exactly what the title suggests. It ensures our fishermen’s access to fisheries in international waters where we set the example for the rest of the world on how to best manage and conserve the ocean’s resources.” 

H.R. 4576 also makes positive changes to the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Implementation Act that will allow regional fishery councils and U.S. territories to participate in the Convention in order to protect our domestic fishing fleet from any adverse effects from the treaties. The bill will change existing law to help our Pacific tuna fishing industry compete on a level playing field against foreign fleets.