Urge NOAA to Strengthen Proposed Bluefin Tuna Protections

Earlier this year, more than 190,000 people urged the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to protect depleted bluefin tuna from surface longline fishing. In response, NOAA released proposed measures for protecting bluefin tuna populations. While these rules are a start, changes are needed to better protect bluefin.?Surface longlines, stretching up to 40 miles and strung with hundreds of baited hooks, catch target fish, such as swordfish, and more than 80 unintended marine species, such as bluefin tuna. In 2012, surface longline fishermen exceeded their bluefin quota and were required to throw back, dead, almost 25 percent of the entire U.S. bluefin allotment. Much of this waste occurred in important areas off North Carolina and in the Gulf of Mexico, the only known spawning ground for western Atlantic bluefin tuna.?NOAA?s bluefin protection proposal is a step in the right direction, but there is still room for improvement.?Join in calling for greater bluefin protections in the Gulf of Mexico, a strict limit on bluefin mortality, and increased monitoring of longline fleets.

Stop Oregon’s Monsanto Protection Act

Oregon legislators?will soon decide whether or not to?pass SB 633 (LC 5), Oregon’s Monsanto Protection Act, which would strip local counties’ control over seeds, food and agriculture and deny county elected officials’ ability to keep GMO crops from
contaminating farmers’ fields.?After dying in committee during the regular session earlier this year, SB 633, now known as LC 5,?industrial ag corporations joined forces with the notorious ALEC and Koch brothers?to slip this seed preemption bill into an unrelated emergency PERS tax and pension bill in Oregon.?Please help stop this outrageous sneak attack on family farmers, their economic livelihoods, their way of life and the future integrity and survival of organic and non-GMO seed.?Already?more than 1,000 family farmers and farm organizations and 28,000 individuals have signed?this urgent letter – Please add your voice!

Thank Senator Mikulski for Striking Down the Monsanto Protection Act

After more than a year of fighting the biotech rider, dubbed the ?Monsanto Protection Act,? Senator Mikulski (D-MD) announced she was striking it?from both the short-term continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government for the next 3 months, and that it is not in either the House or Senate 2014 appropriations bills!?This is a?huge victory?and it?s yours!?We?owe?a big thanks to Senator Mikulski?for her leadership on this issue.?The American people asked Congress to stand up against corporate interests and Senator Mikulski along with Senate leadership answered the call. She promised us that she would not let the Monsanto Protection Act live past its September 30th expiration date, and?she has delivered on her promise!?Add your name to a thank you card!