Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2004-Conference Report

AGRICULTURE, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2004-CONFERENCE REPORT

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today to discuss recent progress regarding amendment 13 to the Northeast Groundfish fishery management plan.

The omnibus appropriations bill we are currently deliberating will pause the implementation of amendment 13 for 5 months. This pause was added at my request because of inequities in this fishery management plan that unfairly discriminates against Maine fishermen. Since I announced in November that I would seek to delay implementation of amendment 13, considerable progress has been made to address the inequities in it.

Last week, the New England Fishery Management Council's Groundfish Committee held an emergency meeting to address these problems. The committee made excellent progress. Specifically, it forwarded a recommendation to the council regarding a minimum allocation of 10 "B" days-at-sea for all permit holders. This significant change will ensure that no fishermen are shut out of the fishery entirely. Further, the committee forwarded a recommendation to the full council advocating a decrease in the conservation tax for days-at-sea transfer. Both of these recommendations will soften the impact of amendment 13 on Maine's fishermen.

The groundfish committee also charged their advisors with identifying "B" fisheries in the Gulf of Maine. It is crucial that these fisheries are developed to ensure Maine's smaller vessels, which do not have the capacity to reach the grounds currently open, can utilize their "B" days-at-sea. Finally, the committee asked their advisory panel to examine the problem of steaming time, which has long worked to Maine's detriment.

I recently received a letter from David Borden, chairman of the New England Fishery Management Council, confirming that "all of the issues that [I] consider important to Maine fisherman are now being actively evaluated and considered by the New England Fishery Management Council." Chairman Borden goes on to assure me the language that I included in the omnibus, "provided the necessary focus for the fishery management process to address these issues on a timely basis, and that process is well underway." I very much appreciate the chairman's candor and his willingness to work with me to address the aspects of amendment 13 that disproportionately harm Maine fishermen.

It is clear that in the months since my provision was added to the omnibus, the New England Council has acted in good faith to meet the concerns of Maine fishermen. Given these developments, I am prepared to lift my objections to an implementation date of May 1, 2004 for amendment 13. I will work with my colleagues to examine ways to lift the funding restriction included in the omnibus. I do this in good faith, and ask for good faith in return. My continuing effort to lift this funding restriction is contingent on both the council and the conservation community continuing to actively address the
concerns I and Maine's fishing community have raised.

I am pleased that my provision had its intended effect of focusing the council's attention on the legitimate concerns raised by the Maine fishing community. I am confident that the council will continue to work to improve amendment 13 for the benefit of all New England fishermen.