Fisheries Investment Regulatory Relief Act 2012

Sens. John Kerry (D-MA), Olympia J. Snowe (R-ME), John Rockefeller (D-WV), Scott Brown (R-MA), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced the “Fisheries Investment and Regulatory Relief Act (FIRRA) of 2012” (S. 2814) on March 12. Companion bill in the House by Reps. Barney Frank (D-MA) and Frank Guinta (R-NH). This bill would invest in the management of America’s fisheries by providing a dedicated funding source. The legislation would redirect existing duties on imported fish and fish products to programs that will protect and increase the value of America’s ocean fish and the jobs they support. This new legislation would re-direct existing revenues from duties on imported fish products (estimated at $124 million for FY 2013) to support critical research, monitoring, and management programs, as well as provide assistance to fishermen and fishing communities. This bill would create a regionally-based grant program that would direct 70 percent of the money (approximately $85 million in FY 2013) per year to fund fisheries research and management programs. The councils would establish investment committees responsible for identifying funding priorities and making recommendations on which specific projects should be supported in each region.

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Lenny Kravitz supports UNICEF’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene efforts

Lenny Kravitz can’t get away from being a badass Musician. Since he is so well known, he is throwing his support behind the UNICEF’s push to help save and improve the access to clean water and adequate sanitation.

“I was born in New York City and have always taken access to clean water as a given,” said Kravitz. “No child should die of diarrhoea from drinking dirty water. That thousands of children under the age of five continue to die every day because they lack clean water and basic sanitation is simply unacceptable.”

UNICEF announced today that the world has met the Millennium Development Goal for drinking water, with 89 per cent of the global population now with access. However, that still leaves over 780 million people, mainly in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, without access. In addition, around 2.5 billion people - almost half the developing world’s population – lack access to improved sanitation. This all adds up to bad news for the children who are being left behind.

Kravitz will be appearing in Public Service Announcements and take to Twitter and Facebook with a message that all children can – and must – have access to clean water and adequate sanitation. Kravitz, who recently released the album ‘Black and White America’ and who will be starring in ‘The Hunger Games’ later this month, is joining forces with UNICEF to help mark World Water Day (March 22) and will send a global message of the importance of investing in children and providing them with clean water and sanitation.

source: UNICEF, www.unicef.org

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