Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth
Record date: 2020-05-12
( printed page 28471) Executive Order 13921 of May 7, 2020 Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to strengthen the American economy; improve the competitiveness of American industry; ensure food security; provide environmentally safe and sustainable seafood; support American workers; ensure coordinated, predictable, and transparent Federal actions; and remove unnecessary regulatory burdens, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1 . Purpose. America needs a vibrant
What this record contains
- Federal Register document
- 2020-10315
- Publication date
- 2020-05-12
- Citation
- 85 FR 28471
- Issuing office
- Executive Office of the President
Official record excerpt
( printed page 28471) Executive Order 13921 of May 7, 2020 Promoting American Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to strengthen the American economy; improve the competitiveness of American industry; ensure food security; provide environmentally safe and sustainable seafood; support American workers; ensure coordinated, predictable, and transparent Federal actions; and remove unnecessary regulatory burdens, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1 . Purpose. America needs a vibrant and competitive seafood industry to create and sustain American jobs, put safe and healthy food on American tables, and contribute to the American economy. Despite America's bountiful aquatic resources, by weight our Nation imports over 85 percent of the seafood consumed in the United States. At the same time, illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing undermines the sustainability of American and global seafood stocks, negatively affects general ecosystem health, and unfairly competes with the products of law-abiding fishermen and seafood industries around the world. More effective permitting related to offshore aquaculture and additional streamlining of fishery regulations have the potential to revolutionize American seafood production, enhance rural prosperity, and improve the quality of American lives. By removing outdated and unnecessarily burdensome regulations; strengthening efforts to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing; improving the transparency and efficiency of environmental reviews; and renewing our focus on long-term strategic planning to facilitate aquaculture projects, we can protect our aquatic environments; revitalize our Nation's seafood industry; get more Americans back to work; and put healthy, safe food on our families' tables. Sec. 2 . Policy. It is the policy of the Federal Government to: (a) identify and remove unnecessary regulatory barriers restricting American fishermen and aquaculture producers; (b) combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing; (c) provide good stewardship of public funds and stakeholder time and resources, and avoid duplicative, wasteful, or inconclusive permitting processes; (d) facilitate aquaculture projects through regulatory transparency and long-term strategic planning; (e) safeguard our communities and maintain a healthy aquatic environment; (f) further fair and reciprocal trade in seafood products; and (g) continue to hold imported seafood to the same food-safety requirements as domestically produced products. Sec. 3 . Definitions. For purposes of this order: (a) “Aquaculture” means the propagation, rearing, and harvesting of aquatic species in controlled or selected environments; (b) “Aquaculture facility” means any land, structure, or other appurtenance that is used for aquaculture; ( printed page 28472) (c) “Aquaculture project” means a project to develop the physical assets designed to provide or support services to activities in the aquaculture sector, including projects for the development or construction of an aquaculture facility; (d) “Exclusive economic zone of the United States” means the zone established in Proclamation 5030 of March 10, 1983 (Exclusive Economic Zone of the United States of America); (e) “Lead agency” has the meaning given that term in the regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality, contained in title 40, Code of Federal Regulations , that implement the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) ( 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. ); (f) “Maritime domain” means all areas and things of, on, under, relating to, adjacent to, or bordering on a sea, ocean, or other navigable waterway, including all maritime-related activities, infrastructure, people, cargo, and vessels and other conveyances; (g) “Maritime domain awareness” means the effective understanding of anything associated with the global maritime domain that could affect the security, safety, economy, or environment of the United States; and (h) “Project sponsor” means an entity, including any private, public, or public-private entity, that seeks an authorization for an aquaculture project. Sec. 4 . Removing Barriers to American Fishing. (a) The Secretary of Commerce shall request each Regional Fishery Management Council to submit, within 180 days of the date of this order, a prioritized list of recommended actions to reduce burdens on domestic fishing and to increase production within sustainable fisheries, including a proposal for initiating each recommended action within 1 year of the date of this order. (i) Recommended actions may include changes to regulations, orders, guidance documents, or other similar agency actions. (ii) Recommended actions shall be consistent with the requirements of the Magnuson-Stevens
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