KETCHIKAN, Alaska — Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski says she wonders whether the Chinese ban on shellfish from Alaska and the Pacific Northwest might be about more than safety.
The Ketchikan Daily News reports the senator made her remarks while visiting Ketchikan on Thursday.
She said that it’s important the federal government follow through on the issue, noting that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is sending a delegation to China in the coming weeks to discuss the ban and shellfish harvesting in the United States.
Earlier this month, federal officials had requested the Chinese ban on shellfish imports from the U.S. be limited to two harvest areas — one in Southeast Alaska and the other outside of Seattle.
China banned the import of oysters, clams, mussels and scallops from Alaska and the Pacific Northwest in December.
———
Information from: Ketchikan (Alaska) Daily News, http://www.ketchikandailynews.com
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.