Ban the Import of Longline and Drift Gillnet Caught Swordfish

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Ban the Import of Longline and Drift Gillnet Caught Swordfish

Congress recognized that fishing was a grave threat to marine mammals (dolpins, seals, whales and others) when they passed the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). Congress also recognized that the United States would also have to pressure the fisheries of other nations to change as well. Consequently, the MMPA requires the federal government to ban the import of seafood products from foriegn nations that use techniques that catch more marine mammals than domestic fishermen.

The US government has ignored this important law. When we asked, the US government was unable to produce any evidence that the swordfish imports meet U.S. marine mammal bycatch standards. In response, the Sea Turtle Restoration Project have asked the Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of the Treasury, and the Secretary of Homeland Security to ban the imports of swordfish from any and all countries that have not satisfied MMPA requirements.

The same longlines and drift gillnets that kill and injure sea turtles are also responsible for the deaths of marine mammals. By supporting our petition, you can help us protect both simultaneously.

Send a letter today to Carlos M. Gutierrez, Secretary of Commerce; Henry M. Paulson, Jr., Secretary of the Treasury; & Michael Chertoff, Secretary of Homeland Security!

May 22, 2013

Subject:
PETITION TO BAN IMPORTS OF SWORDFISH

Dear Secretary,

When Congress passed the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) in 1972, it recognized that commercial fishing posed a grave threat to marine mammal species such as whales, dolphins, porpoises, and seals.  Congress also acknowledged that the United States would have to exert pressure on fisheries of other nations to adopt similarly protective measures if its’ efforts to protect marine mammals from fisheries bycatch were to be successful.  As such, the MMPA creates a non-discretionary duty contained in MMPA section 101 to obtain reasonable proof from foreign nations that their fishing methods do not result in the kill or incidental capture of marine mammals in excess of US standards.  Unfortunately, it appears that the US government has failed to obtain proof from foreign nations, failed the American public, and failed the many endangered populations of marine mammals.

In response, the Turtle Island Restoration Network and the Center for Biological Diversity have recently filed a petition requesting that the import of swordfish and swordfish products be banned from all foreign countries that have failed to provide proof of the effects of their commercial fishing methods on marine mammals.  We would like to remind you that Section 101(a)(2) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (“MMPA”), 16 U.S.C. § 1371(a)(2), COMPELS the US government to “ban the importation of commercial fish or fish products that have been caught with commercial fishing technology which results in the incidental kill or incidental serious injury of marine mammals in excess of United States standards.”

Until the U.S. government obeys its own laws, thousands of marine mammals are likely to perish at the end of foreign countries' longlines each and every year.  I urge you to immediately ban the import of swordfish.  Show leadership by enforcing the law and ending our role in the needless killing of these imperiled species!

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