New Law Creates Seafood Task Force To Boost Industry

A law designed to support New York’s local fishermen, aquaculturalists and related small businesses has recently been signed into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo.

The New York Seafood Marketing Task Force Act of 2017, sponsored, in part, by Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. and Senator Kenneth P. LaValle, creates a Seafood Marketing Task Force composed of individuals from Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, the New York Sea Grant Program and Cornell Cooperative Extension, in addition to seafood wholesalers, processors, aquaculturalists and retailers.

As part of its function, the task force will promote the economic and environmental sustainability of the New York seafood industry through marketing initiatives, incentives and educational programs. The task force will seek to prevent mislabeling of seafood products and will work to block illegally caught seafood from New York markets. The task force will begin meeting in 2018.

“The fishing and seafood industry is a critical part of Long Island’s and New York State’s economy,” Mr. Thiele said in a prepared statement. “It is imperative that these industries be competitive and sustainable.”