Dear National Ocean Council,
Thank you for your diligent and sustained efforts in the fight against illegal fishing. As you continue to build the US plan for combatting illegal fishing, I strongly urge you to establish regulations that ensure all species are eventually covered under comprehensive regulation. This is not a matter of species vs. species, but rather an issue of good actors vs. bad actors.
The government must therefore be committed to a comprehensive rule that ends incentives for illegal fishing and guarantees that seafood can be traced via verifiable resources. While I support the task force's decision to test and phase in requirements that would be a part of this regulation, we must ensure that global actors have adequate time to make the necessary changes that such a regulation would entail.
I would like to see the following measures put in place:
1. mandatory and standardized electronic catch documentation
2. a comprehensive system of traceability — with practical requirements easily integrated into current practices
3. adequate border procedures that allow for informed decisions regarding product legality
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Thank you.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
