The National Marine Fisheries Service has reopened public comment on President Donald Trump’s executive order on “Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness.”
According to the fisheries service announcement, this time the agency is specifically looking for input on fishing regulations that could be suspended, revised or rescinded.
Other areas include how to make fisheries management and science more effective, modernized and cheaper.
One specific question NOAA Fisheries is also interested in getting comments on, is “How to expand exempted fishing permit programs to promote fishing opportunities nationwide?”
The fisheries service says it received 693 comments during the initial comment period that closed on Oct. 14. Those public comments are not publicly available online.
That comment period partially overlapped with the federal government shutdown. The fisheries service says the reopening was, “appropriate, due to the lapse in appropriations that occurred during the comment period.”
A spokesperson for the National Marine Fisheries Service also known as NOAA Fisheries, Rachel Hager, did not answer KMXT's questions about why the agency reopened the public comment this month for only two weeks. Instead Hager sent a copy of the fisheries service's announcement via email.
The agency says it plans to use the public comments to “identify specific actions” it can take to revitalize the U.S. seafood sector.
Comments will be accepted until 8 p.m. on Dec. 15. There will also be an additional one-hour listening session when people can call in from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 8.
To submit comments or to register for the public listening session, go online to NOAA Fisheries’ website.
