Opposition to H. Amdt. 757 to H.R. 4660, Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the amendment offered by my colleague and friend from Florida.

First, I want to commend the gentleman from Florida for his tireless efforts on behalf of his constituents. I recognize and appreciate the challenges many of his constituents are having with the Gulf of Mexico Council and the mismanagement issues plaguing the Red Snapper fishery.

As a member of the authorizing committee and someone who has spent decades dealing with fisheries issues, I am concerned about the implications of this amendment to fishermen in my district and in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Virginia Waterman's Association has contacted me to express their opposition to this amendment, which would limit future catch share programs. Fishing has always been a key component of Virginia's economy, and the health of the resource is vital to its future. There are enormous benefits to the proper management of fisheries.
Fisheries management, however, is a complex issue. It requires good science. It requires good analytics. And, more importantly, it requires good management tools. Catch shares can be a useful management tool, and they have proven to be an effective management program in many fisheries, including striped bass, surf clam, quahog, golden tilefish, and scallop. Additionally, in Virginia there is interest in new catch shares for tautog and blue crab.

But the decisions over whether to use them are best left to the regional fishery management councils, which were established by Congress for this very purpose. The participants on those regional fishery management councils have extensive knowledge of their local fisheries and are better equipped than Congress to make decisions on what management regimes to use in their regions.

I understand the concerns of my colleagues about the way some fisheries are managed in the United States. I share some of those concerns and look forward to continuing working through the House Natural Resources Committee to address them during reauthorization of Magnuson-Stevens. I do not believe that this amendment is the right approach to solving fishery management problems, nor is it good for the Commonwealth of Virginia. I am therefore opposed to the amendment.

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