The case of the disappearing crab

Presented by the American Heart Association: Delivered every Monday by 10 a.m., Weekly Agriculture examines the latest news in agriculture and food politics and policy.

Oct 17, 2022 View in browser   By Garrett Downs Presented by the American Heart Association With help from Marcia Brown and Meredith Lee Hill QUICK FIX — Alaska canceled snow crab season for the first time in the state's history, citing disappearing stock. The Bering Sea has been warming at alarming rates for years, which could have led to the disappearance. — USDA unveiled a new framework to address salmonella infections in poultry. The agency's food safety chief said she welcomes criticism from the industry, which claims the rule is not based in science. — The Federal Maritime Commission rolled out a new proposed rule on billing for detention and demurrage charges. The two charges were the bane of many agricultural shippers who had their goods frozen on the docks due to no fault of their own. HAPPY MONDAY, OCT. 17. Welcome to Morning Ag. I'm your host, Garrett Downs. Send your tips and costume ideas along to gdowns@politico.com and @_garrettdowns , and follow us at @Morning_Ag .   A message by the American Heart Association: When will the U.S. Senate act on child nutrition? School meals are a recipe for student success. But the Senate's inaction is a recipe for disaster. Millions of kids no longer have access to healthy school meals at no cost all while soaring food prices cause major hardships for families across the country. Tell your Senators: Act now to ensure every child can get healthy school meals for free.   Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to  POLITICO Pro . You'll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day's biggest stories. Driving the Day S(NO)W CRAB SEASON: Alaska canceled the snow crab season for the first time in the state's history, an enormous blow to the state's iconic fishery and a troubling sign as the Bering Sea continues to warm. Alaska's Fish and Game Department made the announcement last week, citing crab stocks being estimated below the regulatory threshold for opening a fishery. The department said only about 23 percent of the crab population is left. Context: Alaska's snow crab population has been declining for several years, which regulators and biologists initially attributed to migration. But Mark Stichert, the groundfish/shellfish manager for the Fish and Game Department in Kodiak, Ak., told the department's regulatory board that "we now well understand that this was a mortality event." The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warned in 2019 that warming waters could have negative impacts on the Bering Sea ecosystem. Why it matters: According to NOAA, last year's snow crab catch alone was worth about $219 million . It's also the latest in supply woes for an already battered U.S. food supply chain that has caused grocery prices to soar. What's next: The department said it "must now focus on conservation and rebuilding given the condition of the stock," and that efforts "to advance our science and understanding of crab population dynamics are underway."   NEW AND IMPROVED POLITICO APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. With a fresh look and improved features, the sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don't miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. Already a POLITICO app user? Upgrade today! DOWNLOAD FOR iOS  – DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID .     SALMONELLA RULEMAKING INCOMING: The Agriculture Department's food safety arm is proposing ratcheting up efforts to contain consumer infections from salmonella in food, Marcia reports . The Food Safety and Inspection Service is not yet at the rulemaking stage, but Deputy Undersecretary Sandra Eskin said that FSIS could start proposing rules as early as mid-2023. Proposed framework: FSIS released a proposed framework. It would consist of the following: — Require testing for salmonella before animals enter any processing facility and incentivize companies to monitor for salmonella throughout their supply chains. — Improving testing and tracing processes for salmonella at multiple points during poultry processing. — Create an "enforceable" standard for salmonella strains by requiring recalls of products that test positive for specific strains or by requiring contamination below certain levels. As part of the effort, FSIS will conduct additional scientific studies and data to better understand salmonella in poultry products and prevent its spread. FSIS target: Government data shows that in more than a fifth of salmonella infections poultry products are the leading source of salmonella infections. Most people who become infected with salmonella, a bacteria, recover within a few days , but some can develop severe disease with lasting effects. FSIS says that it failed to reduce salmonella levels to target levels between 2010 and 2020 and is taking additional steps to reach its 2030 target of "no more than 11.5 per 100,000 consumers per year." Poultry is just one source of salmonella; it can also be found in other livestock as well as fruits and vegetables. To meet its target, FSIS must reduce overall salmonella infections 25 percent. Chicken industry blowback: The National Chicken Council said that while it is sympathetic to reducing salmonella infections, that the new proposed framework lacks scientific rigor, pointing to USDA data that 90 percent of chicken tested negative for salmonella from July 2021 to June 2022. They also blamed consumer use, like improper cooking and handling, for infections. Eskin pushed back, saying "the people within the agency include epidemiologists and microbiologists and veterinarians. So I would invite critics who say we don't have science, that we don't have data. Bring it on." What's next: The agency will host a public meeting Nov. 3 on the proposed regulatory framework and is soliciting public feedback.   A message by the American Heart Association:   OSRA ROLLOUT CONTINUES: The Federal Maritime Commission recently rolled out another proposed rule as part of the implementation of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022. This time, the agency is proposing new rules on detention and demurrage billing — two types of charges that carriers can charge shippers with when their goods don't move in a timely manner. Context: Ports and carriers contend that detention and demurrage charges are necessary to ensure goods move from the docks in a timely fashion. But agricultural shippers were hit especially hard during the pandemic when bottlenecks left containers on the docks with nowhere to go, causing the charges to pile up. Shippers also claimed to have little room for recourse when they were charged. According to FMC, between 2020 and 2022 $8.9 billion worth of charges were made by carriers. $6.9 billion of that was collected. What's in the rule: The proposed rule takes several actions to address detention and demurrage. First, it would require additional information to be included in invoices, as required by OSRA. It would also require that invoices can only be charged to a shipper the carrier has a contractual relationship with. And, it would require that invoices must be issued within 30 days after charges stop accruing; and carriers must provide 30 days for dispute with clear instructions for how to dispute. Meanwhile, on refusal to carry: As we have reported, the commission is also undergoing a rulemaking on refusal to carry — a critical issue for agriculture shippers who saw their goods left on the docks as carriers preferred to leave with empty containers only to return with more lucrative imports. Peter Friedmann, the executive director of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition, told MA that the rulemaking is "one of the two or three most vital that the federal maritime commission is initiating" in the wake of OSRA's passage. AgTC said it will request an extension on that rulemaking so all members have time to provide comment to the commission.   LISTEN TO POLITICO'S ENERGY PODCAST: Check out our daily five-minute brief on the latest energy and environmental politics and policy news. Don't miss out on the must-know stories, candid insights, and analysis from POLITICO's energy team. Listen today .     Row Crops — The Justice Department has moved to dismiss antitrust charges against two former Pilgrim's Pride executives, Reuters reports . They were the remaining defendants in a case that failed to secure any convictions. — JBS and Tyson foods are investing in a smartwatch app to allow the companies to monitor worker productivity, Investigate Midwest reports .  — Join POLITICO's Paul Demko for a weird look into Minnesota's growing legal weed market.  — Iowa, one of the biggest corn states, could be trumped by Illinois this year in corn production per acre, Successful Farming reports . Still, Iowa's overall production is expected to be higher. THAT'S ALL FOR MA. Drop us a line: gdowns@politico.com , meredithlee@politico.com , marciabrown@politico.com , abehsudi@politico.com and ecadei@politico.com .   A message by the American Heart Association: When will the U.S. Senate act on child nutrition? School meals are a recipe for student success. Since early 2020, every child in America has been eligible for school meals at no cost, regardless of family income level - no forms, no questions asked. The policy has kept millions of children and families from going hungry during the pandemic. But that support has ended just as the new school year has started. The Senate's inaction is a recipe for disaster, as millions of kids lose access to healthy school meals at no cost while food prices soar. Tell your Senators: Act now to ensure every child can get healthy school meals for free.     Follow us on Twitter Emily Cadei @emilycadei Adam Beshudi @ABehsudi Meredith Lee @meredithllee Garrett Downs @_garrettdowns Marcia Brown @Marcia_Brown9   Follow us

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