2020 Election: Aquatic Animals and the Seafood Industry
As we head to the polls today, we thought it would be helpful to examine how the election of Joe Biden or reelection of Donald Trump could impact aquatic animals and industry over the next four years.
Current Administration
In its first term, the Trump administration has sought to expand and support domestic commercial aquaculture and fishery firms. For instance, in May 2020, the Trump Administration signed an Executive order directing NOAA to establish “Aquaculture Opportunity Areas.” These are areas in federal waters that show high potential for commercial fishing. This order aimed to increase the competitiveness of the American seafood industry and enhance domestic food security. However, in August 2020, a federal court ruled that it was illegal for the Department of Commerce to issue regulations that would have permitted commercial offshore aquaculture in U.S. federal waters.
In another show of support for the seafood industry, the Trump Administration issued a memorandum in June 2020 to provide assistance to the U.S. lobster industry, which has been affected by China’s retaliatory tariffs as a result of ongoing trade escalation between the two countries.
Trump Campaign and Implications of a Trump Second Term
Although the Republican Party decided to not release a new party platform for the 2020 election, the Trump campaign released a second term agenda, stating that it would “Partner with Other Nations to Clean Up our Planet’s Oceans.”
However, this initiative has been overshadowed by the Trump administration’s significant rollback of Obama-era environmental rules regarding wildlife and wetland protections, carbon dioxide emissions, and oil and gas drilling and extraction. These rollbacks have the potential to exacerbate the harmful effects of climate change and the threat it poses to fragile habitats and ecosystems, especially those to which aquatic animals belong.
On an Undercurrent News panel on the U.S. 2020 election discussing the implications of a Trump presidency, Sebastian Belle, executive director of the Marine Aquaculture Association and vice president of the National Aquaculture Association, said the Executive Order by the Trump administration to expand domestic aquaculture production “was the first time in many years than an administration has very clearly articulated that the development of a domestic aquaculture sector is a priority.” However, Belle noted that it remains to be seen whether this would be followed through in a second term.
Indeed, the Trump administration’s support for the seafood industry is reflected in the donations the Trump campaign has received. For example, in August 2020, Forbes reported that Chuck Bundrant, founder of Trident Seafoods, and members of his family gave a combined $75,000 donation to Trump Victory, a joint fundraising committee for the Republican party and president Donald Trump.
Discussing barriers to domestic aquaculture expansion, Belle said that “the most disappointing thing for us in the private sector is that many folks in the environmental community are still stuck in science that is 25, 30 years old… they don’t recognize the tremendous evolution and innovation that has occurred in the private sector with respect to environmental impact.”
Belle goes even further to say that “if we get a Democratic sweep… we are concerned that we will be dragged back into debating [the science] all over again.”
Based on statements from industry leaders like Sebastian Belle, it is clear that the aquaculture industry sees an easier path to expanding aquaculture development in the U.S. with a Trump presidency - a path that they believe is less likely to be impeded by environmentalists, outdated science, and Democratic oversight.
Biden Campaign and Implications of a Biden Presidency
As it relates to a potential Biden presidency, the Biden campaign has emphasized their commitment to invest in sustainable agriculture and conservation through mobilizing what they call a “Civilian Climate Corps.” They claim that members would “use sound, science-based techniques to... protect and restore coastal ecosystems, such as wetlands, seagrasses, oyster reefs, and mangrove and kelp forests, to protect vulnerable coastlines, sequester carbon, and support biodiversity and fisheries,” among other things.
Discussing the potential impacts of a Biden presidency and Democratic control of Congress, Todd Clark, partner at Endeavor Seafood and former chairman at the National Fisheries Institute stated on an Undercurrent News panel that industry would be more likely to see coronavirus-related relief from a Democratic controlled government given party unity and Republican resistance to spending.
Furthermore, unlike the Trump campaign, the Biden campaign has received significant support from conservation and animal welfare groups. These groups include the Center for Biological Diversity, Natural Resources Defense Council, Humane Society of the United States, League of Conservation Voters, the Sierra Club, and many others.
Representatives from seafood trade associations, such as Leigh Habegger, executive director of Seafood Harvesters of America, who also spoke at the panel, suggested that Democratic control could result in “conservation groups’ agendas making their way into federal wild harvesting policies” and expressed industry frustration of recent Democratic efforts to place a 30% of federal waters under conservation by 2030, which could hamper commercial aquaculture development. However, Habegger noted that there has been a “genuine willingness [among the environmental community] to work with industry… so it remains to be seen how this actually plays out.”
Conclusion
In summary, a Trump presidency would likely prioritize the expansion of domestic aquaculture production in federal waters, with conservation and animal welfare groups ostensibly playing a smaller role in the design and implementation of these policies. It is also likely that there will continue to be a rollback of environmental rules and regulations from previous administrations.
On the other hand, a Biden presidency would likely elevate the priorities of conservation and animal welfare groups in federal policy, expand conservation efforts and environmental initiatives, and provide industry with financial support in a future coronavirus relief package.
Regardless of your political leanings, when you cast your ballot this election cycle, we hope this overview has informed you about which candidate will support aquatic animals and the habitats and ecosystems in which they live.
Written by Anthony Moreno, ALI Policy Intern