Good News!We now have combined our efforts with the Gulf Coast Oyster Industry to maximize the effectiveness of our message to the FDA.
Please go to
www.saveourshellfish.org and sign the new petition. This issue is of vital importance to the livelihood and culture of the region, and the effects of the FDA ban would resonate on a national scale.
We the undersigned respectfully demand that your agency re-evaluate the recently-announced policy requiring the sterilization of Gulf Coast oysters harvested from April through October. Such a regulation would have dire effects on our $500 million per year industry, and ultimately result in the direct loss of thousands of jobs. The rules would also have the resonant effect of diversely impacting an entire region in the process of recovery. What is astounding to the responsible, resilient seafood producers in our region is that the FDA has forged a policy which all but ignores the risks involving imported seafood, checking only a small percentage of the millions of tons of product. At the same time you're seemingly try to sink American seafood producers with unnecessary regulations. We truly believe that a reasoned review of the 2011 policy will result in a correction of the views espoused by your ill-advised adviser, Mr. Michael Taylor. Thank you for your time in reading this letter.
