WA state lawmaker proposes Marine Disease Emergency Act in response to mysterious starfish disease
SEAFOODNEWS.COM [SCOM] September 19, 2014
A mysterious disease that is laying waste to West Coast starfish populations has prompted one Washington lawmaker to introduce legislation that would give NOAA the authority to respond immediately to marine disease emergencies that could threaten marine ecosystems in US waters.
To address the sea star wasting syndrome and other major marine disease emergencies, this week Representative Denny Heck (WA-10) and the Puget Sound Recovery Caucus introduced the Marine Disease Emergency Act. The proposed legislation would establish a framework for declaring and responding to a marine disease emergency, and to provide the science community with the resources to proactively protect marine ecosystems from being irreparably damaged by cascading epidemics...
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