Brian Babin

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Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me time. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 283, the Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act, as amended. This bill directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to develop a standard methodology using chemical analysis to identify the country of origin of seafood. Both commercial and recreational fishing contribute significantly to the Texas economy. Red snapper, in particular, is highly sought after by the recreational fishing sector. This effort is especially important in the Gulf of America, where red snapper is a valuable resource for American fishermen and coastal communities. Illegally harvested seafood can make its way into U.S. markets, undercutting the fishermen and seafood producers who play by the rules. NIST scientists have developed chemical methods to identify the geographic origin of foods like beef, honey, fruits, and rice. This bill would build on that expertise to give law enforcement another tool to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and seafood fraud. Today's bill also incorporates edits made by the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee during our bipartisan markup earlier this year as part of H.R. 3706, the Standards for Understanding Source and Habitat Identification Act, also known as the SUSHI Act, which I sponsored. I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.