Fw: U.S. May Ban Imported Swordfish! Your Support is Critical!

[Guest guest]

--- On Thu, 1/8/09, Sea Turtle Restoration Project <seaturtles wrote:

Sea Turtle Restoration Project <seaturtlesU.S. May Ban Imported Swordfish! Your Support is Critical!sjotokuDate: Thursday, January 8, 2009, 10:52 AM

 

 

 

 

 

 

Subscribe | Donate | Tell A Friend

 

 

 

Let the U.S. Government Know You Support a Ban of Imported Swordfish!

 

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.

The U.S. Commerce Department is considering banning the imports of foreign swordfish until exporting countries can provide proof that their fishing practices are equally protective of marine mammals - including whales, dolphins, and sea lions - as methods used by U.S. fishermen. Recent evidence shows that foreign nations kill over 100,000 marine mammals every year. The U.S. can save tens of thousands of whales, dolphins, seals and other wildlife if they pressure foreign nations to clean up their dirty fisheries by simply enforcing the Marine Mammal Protection Act!

The Marine Mammal Protection Act requires any country wishing to import fish products into the United States to provide proof that the country's fishing practices do not harm or kill marine mammals in excess of U.S. standards. Recent information, obtained from a Freedom of Information Act request, has revealed that the U.S. government has ignored this mandatory duty for decades! HOW TO SUBMIT COMMENTS:1. Click Here2. Enter your first & last name under "Submitter Information"3. List "Private Citizen" as your "Organization"4. Cut & Paste the sample comment letter below into "Public Comment or Submission" box or write your ownPublic Comment ends January 29th!SAMPLE COMMENT LETTER

Dear Director of the NOAA Office of International Affairs, I am deeply disappointed that the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has failed to enforce section 101(a)(2) of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) for the last 25+ years. By ignoring this law, the U.S. government is subverting the intent of the MMPA and promoting the destruction of marine mammals. I respectfully request NMFS immediately ban swordfish imports from foreign countries until:

(1) the U.S. government demands reasonable proof from any nation seeking to export swordfish or swordfish products to the U.S. of the effects on marine mammals of the commercial fishing technology used to obtain swordfish or swordfish products; and

(2) the U.S. government receives such proof and determines that it demonstrates that the swordfish or swordfish products to be imported were not caught with commercial fishing technology that results in the incidental kill or incidental serious injury of marine mammals in excess of U.S. standards.

 

Thank you,

 

Want to learn more about swordfish imports? Want to write your own comments? Click here to download our petition to the U.S. government and learn about the disastrous effects of foreign drift gillnet and longline fishing vessels on marine mammals.

 

 

 

 

Sea Turtle Restoration Project Email News and Updates PO Box 370, Forest Knolls, CA 94933 USA

To , visit http://www.seaturtles.org/.You are d to this list as sjotoku. Visit http://www.seaturtles.org/ to , or reply to this email with "" in the subject line.Update your preferences or contact information here: http://www.seaturtles.org/profile(Note: The first time you go to update your preferences, you must first create a login and password.)