'Unacceptable': Dan Sullivan Concerned Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick Isn't Doing Fish Surveys

Forbes Breaking News

During a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on Wednesday, Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) spoke about NOAA's fish surveys.

Transcript

00:00more efficiently, I think it's it's worth using. Okay, Senator Sullivan. Thank you

00:07Mr. Chairman. Mr. Jacobs, looking forward to meeting with you. And I want to, I've

00:14missed a lot of the hearing because we're marking up the defense bill, but I want

00:20to look forward to working with you, particularly on NOAA's jobs. In my state,

00:26in Alaska, NOAA does really, really important work. And I've appreciated the

00:33Trump administration's executive order on restoring American seafood

00:38competitiveness. You know, and I talked to Secretary Lutnick about this, our

00:44fishermen often get the raw end of the deal, right? If you're like a farmer, high

00:50tech, Silicon Valley guy, or a Wall Street guy, the American government takes care

00:55you, right? If you're, and you know, those are all important, particularly our farmers,

00:59nothing against them. But when you're a fisherman, a lot of times it's like, hey,

01:03good luck, right? And so our fishermen don't ask a lot. They ask a few basic

01:13things from the federal government, robust fish surveys to inform accurate stock

01:17assessments and the timely promulgation of regulations to open up the fisheries.

01:24Unfortunately, NOAA, and this was during Biden, for sure, they didn't do stock

01:30assessments. They were going on doing all their kind of other stuff. They got a lot

01:34of money, but they weren't doing the basic blocking and tackling of stock

01:39assessments. How much fish is in certain parts of the ocean, and how much can we fish

01:45it, knowing that we want sustainable, environmentally sound fisheries, okay? I've

01:51been worried, and then when the Deputy Secretary of Commerce was here during his

01:54confirmation here, I, you know, let him know about my concerns that the Trump NOAA

02:00guys aren't doing it either. And it's just, it's not good, right? You got a basic job

02:07to do. So I need your commitment right now, if you get confirmed, and you and I are

02:12going to have a long talk about this when you come see me in my office, but you got

02:16to do this, right? And you can't cut staff who do this work. If you don't do surveys,

02:22guess what happens? The great American fishermen that I represent, by the way, my

02:27state's the superpower of seafood. Over two-thirds of all seafood harvested in

02:32America, commercial, subsistence, sport, two-thirds comes from Alaska. So if and when you

02:39get confirmed, you're going to be spending a lot of time in Alaska. But, right?

02:43Absolutely. Yeah, good. Okay. But my point is, if you don't do the surveys, then the science

02:54is kind of crimped, and people say, well, we're not sure what you can do, and it limits their

02:59ability to actually go fish. So I want your view on that. I'm sure Senator Cantwell's already

03:05hit you up on it. But this is so important. And I'm a little concerned that the Department

03:11of Commerce under Secretary Lutnik is not doing it either. And it's unacceptable. You guys got to

03:17commit to me. And don't do like Biden did. They got all this money, and then they never did surveys

03:21either. They did all their other stuff. I don't know what the hell they did with the money. But

03:25commit to me on this right now, because it's really important. This is going to be a main part of

03:30your job. In, you know, first six months, I've been really concerned. And gosh darn it, this,

03:37we're not asking a lot. Do the science. Do the surveys. You know, during COVID, people were making

03:45up, oh, we can't go out. It's too dangerous. No, go do the surveys. Can you talk a little about that

03:52and make a commitment to me and my fishermen that you will get out and do the damn surveys, right? It's

03:59really, again, we don't ask for much. It's basic blocking and tackling that NOAA is supposed to do.

04:05And I don't know why it's a problem right now. It shouldn't be a problem in the Trump

04:08administration. I need you to focus on it and commit to me right now to do it.

04:13Thank you for the question. So if confirmed, absolutely. Stock assessments and surveys is a

04:19top priority. We wouldn't be competitive in the seafood industry if we don't do those, because

04:24understanding, you know, for example, the status of Pollock stock is essential for setting the

04:33quotas. And I understand and appreciate your concerns. And if confirmed, very, very high

04:40priority. Good. I appreciate that. We have a lot of issues. The bycatch issue is an issue. I was just up

04:46on the Yukon River. There's no fishing again on the Yukon. I was up on my wife's family has a fish

04:53camp on the Yukon River. There was no king fishing again. We need to get to the bottom of what's

04:59happening to our salmon runs. I had legislation, my Alaska Salmon Research Task Force Act, which was

05:07passed. NOAA did some good work. But we have some runs in Alaska that are doing great. Bristol Bay,

05:12Sockeye Run. Other iconic runs in Alaska, King Runs on the Yukon, the Kuskokwim. They're cratering,

05:22and that really hurts people more than just food security. It's culture for our native communities.

05:28Can you commit to me to continue to work getting the best science, the best minds on why we're seeing

05:34in certain parts of Alaska these dramatic crashes in our salmon runs and why that's happening and take

05:41action to help us return to what everybody in Alaska and America wants? Strong, vibrant salmon runs.

05:49Thank you for the question. Absolutely. If confirmed, we'll commit to working on this. This is something

05:53that I've been wondering about for a while because we do fund a lot of this restoration and a lot of

06:02these stocks don't seem to be improving. Yeah. And it's deeply concerning. Well, and there's a gap in

06:07the research, right? That's one of the things that it's a long story, but the salmon live out in the ocean

06:12most of their life, but the research from the feds is actually not focused on salmon. Alaska, the state

06:19focuses on salmon research, but within the rivers, not out in the big ocean. We need more research on what's

06:26happening to the salmon as they live out in the ocean for most of their lives. And that's where NOAA

06:31could be very helpful. Can I get your commitment on that as well? Yes, definitely commit to working with you on

06:37this. And then finally, and I do want to compliment Secretary Lutnik and his team, President Trump and his

06:46team on their executive order on seafood competitiveness. That was really welcomed. It was a really good EO. We got to

06:55work together to implement it. But the other thing I just need your commitment on, and Secretary Lutnik's

07:02been great on this, the unfair, unbalanced trade relationship that we have had, particularly with

07:10Russia and China. What do I mean? Russia banned the importation of American seafood in 2014. Zero fish

07:19from America could go to Russia. And we, for whatever reason, for the last decade, have let

07:26them import as much fish as they want. That is crushing our fishermen, fishing communities. Finally,

07:33two years ago, under the Biden administration, I give them credit, they blocked the importation of

07:38Russian seafood. Then the Russians sent it to China to have it laundered in China, and we close that loophole,

07:47right? And the Trump administration, to their credit, has been really good about keeping that

07:51ban on the importation of Russian seafood, regardless of where they send it for secondary

07:59head gutting and filleting. But I need your commitment to continue to that and work with us.

08:06We just had a really good hearing on IUU fishing, where the Chinese, the Russians, they have no standards,

08:12they use slave labor. We need your help to work on those issues as well. Can I get your commitment on

08:18those? Absolutely. Good. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you. You know, Dr. Jacobs, you have spent

08:23decades as a redfish fishing guide on the Atlantic. I do have to ask, in following up my friend

08:30Senator Sullivan's questions, have you been salmon fishing in Alaska? I have. Good. That was the right

08:35answer, and it is extraordinary. I have too. That was the right answer. And it is a unique and beautiful

08:42place. Well, maybe when you come up to Alaska, the chairman and I, we can host you for some more

08:47fishing out there. I was looking forward to it. And since he's a guide, we may do better with it

08:51along. That's right. Good. Reiki member Camwell. Thank you, Chairman. And I do want to echo my...

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