'Saving Nemo' Act Reintroduced in House
Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawaii, this month reintroduced a bill restricting imports of protected ornamental reef fish and coral species to protect "increasingly fragile coral reef ecosystems" collected through "destructive practices."
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The Saving Natural Ecosystems and Marine Organisms Act, or Saving Nemo Act, requires the secretary of the interior, in consultation with the secretary of commerce, to designate covered coral reef species to be banned for import or export to protect coral reefs globally. These species are defined by the bill as those whose capture "presents a substantial risk of harm to the sustainability of such species or the coral reef ecosystem of such species," or species which cannot survive capture or transport.
The bill stipulates that the Interior Department may remove the designation of a species if it "determines that such removal does not represent a substantial risk of harm to the sustainability of such species or the coral reef ecosystem of such species."
"I urge my colleagues to support this critical legislation to help safeguard our coral reefs and the diverse marine life they support," Case said on the House floor in support of his bill. "By restricting the importation of ornamental reef species collected through harmful practices, we can protect these vital ecosystems for future generations."