Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. KEATING. Mr. Chairman, my amendment builds off of years of efforts to reform the use of the asset forfeiture fund. During this time, NOAA has conducted internal reviews and audits for the use of asset forfeiture monies. Yet I believe it is important that we authorize specific uses to help our struggling fishermen and, at the same time, promote sustainable fishing.

My amendment would ensure that forfeiture funds are used for five things: first, enhancing fishery research and stock assessments. This bill authorizes the use of State personnel and resources, things like cooperative research between industry and public science and use of vessels to serve a data-poor fisheries. My amendment expands beyond data-poor fisheries by authorizing broader use of forfeiture funds for research and independent stock assessments.

This is particularly important in the Northeast, where timely information may be the difference between the success or failure of a small fishing business.

Secondly, it deals with at-sea and shoreside monitoring. If there is one concern that I have heard consistently voiced from fishermen from New Bedford to the South Shore to Provincetown in Massachusetts, it is the transition of funding for monitoring from NOAA to fishermen.

It has been nearly 3 years since the Department of Commerce declared a fishing disaster in the Northeast. As the fishing industry continues to face the long-term challenges coming back from this disaster, this is no time to switch the burden of the cost of monitoring onto them.

Third, it advances conservation gear engineering. Additional funds will help fishermen develop and adopt new gear and technology to improve efficiency, reduce the impact on the marine environment, and promote sustainable fishing for future generations.

Commercial and recreational fishermen use an array of gear to target their catch. An unfortunate and fatal consequence is the inclusion of untargeted fish, turtles, and marine mammals as bycatch. Fortunately, there have been efforts underway nationwide to promote sustainable means of fishing, like scallopers in New Bedford developing the turtle dredge to protect sea turtles from interaction during scalloping, and the New England Aquarium collaborative that has developed acoustic pingers that successfully warn marine mammals away from gill nets.

Fourth, the amendment will help with additional research for fishery impact statements. Under the bill, councils are required to develop fishery impact statements that take into account the purpose of a proposed management plan and its potential impact on fisheries and fishing communities. In doing so, the bill shifts the responsibility from NEPA to the councils. And while I have concerns about how this will be implemented, I do believe it is critical that we provide councils with adequate resources.

Finally, the bill and the amendment will help funding priorities of the regional fishery management councils, like efforts to rebuild or maintain sustainable fisheries and ensure healthy ecosystems.

There is no doubt that additional funding for these efforts is a win for fishermen on all coasts of our country.

With that, I yield the balance of my time to my colleague from Massachusetts (Mr. Moulton).

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